Yesterday, a “spontaneous” walkout by Saint Paul Public School students – led and traffic-copped by adults, and in which students from many Saint Paul school magically assembled at Central High School at the appointed time, mirabile dictu – “marched” the the Capitol to demand gun control

Really!  Spontaneously!

It was so spontaneous that the princnipal of the JJ Hill Montessori had time to send out a long email to parents explaining What It All Means:

On Tue, Mar 6, 2018 at 12:00 PM, JJ HILL MONTESSORI
<email@XXXXXX.com> wrote:
A message from JJ HILL MONTESSORI

Dear JJ Hill Families,

Many conversations are happening about gun violence in schools, particularly after the school shooting in Parkland, FL a few weeks ago. In response, protests and school walkouts are taking place across the country.

SPPS is aware of four protests, two of which are happening this month and are detailed below. Please read the following information carefully. The walkouts vary greatly and will affect students and schools differently.

The Minnesota High School Walkout is scheduled for the morning of March 7. This student-driven and student-organized march will gather on Marshall Avenue in front of Central High School at 11 a.m. The students will then march to the Minnesota Capitol building, arriving by noon. As JJ Hill is an elementary school, students will not participate in this event unless they are with a parent or guardian.

Students who are unable to march have been asked to join the group at the Capitol to show solidarity against gun violence. That date was selected because two bills are going before the Minnesota legislature on the topics of “standing your ground” and “constitutional carry.”

The National School Walkout is scheduled to take place at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 14. It calls for students to walk out of school for 17 minutes — one minute for each person who was killed in the Florida school shooting. SPPS supports this national movement and also respects the rights of those who do not support it. Each school will determine how to respect the views of students and staff in appropriate ways.

SPPS does not discipline students for peaceful protests. However, once the walkout ends at 10:17 a.m., students are expected to go back into school.

If your child chooses to participate in a walkout and leave campus, SPPS cannot ensure student safety. Student walkouts could result in an unexcused absence unless parents call or provide a note. If parents do not grant permission for their child to participate, walking out will result in an unexcused absence and students could be assigned Saturday school. Students who leave campus will not be allowed back into school and will not be able to use school bus transportation at the end of the day.

At JJ Hill we are planning to have some staff members supervise students in our garden area if they choose to walk out on March 14 10:00-10:17 am. Other staff will remain in classrooms with students that choose not to participate. I recommend having a conversation with your child at home first. As an elementary school, there is a range of developmental planes. This may be an appropriate action for our Upper Elementary students to research and discuss. Most likely, this is not developmentally appropriate for our Children’s House students. E1 falls somewhere in between. Our goal is for students to be informed and aware of their rights. We will work together to create a safe space and to maintain a learning environment.

Staff members throughout our district strive to provide students a safe place to express their opinions and talk through their feelings without fear of judgment. In some cases, teachers may use current events like these to teach lessons on peaceful conflict resolution, the role of protest in society or creating change in the face of tough societal events.

If you have any questions, please call me at 651-xxx-xxxx.

Sincerely,

Maura Brink,

JJ Hill Montessori Principal

So – long story short,  your tax money was spent on staff time and school effort in the service of curtailing your Second Amendmebt rights – and to pick away at the impression and the reality that Millennials are actually to the right of their elders on the 2nd Amendment.

The Metro DFL has gone all-in on grabbing the guns of the law-abiding.

Remember this come election time.