Charming. Middle school children, enchanted by things like “High Five Day,” made up their own little twist, and spent a day last week hitting Jews.
At least four students from a suburban St. Louis middle school face punishment for allegedly hitting Jewish classmates during what they called “Hit a Jew Day.”
The incident happened last week at Parkway West Middle School in Chesterfield.
District officials said Thursday they believe that fewer than 10 children of the district’s 35 Jewish students were struck.
District spokesman Paul Tandy said that in most cases, the students were hit on the back of their shoulders but one student was slapped in the face.
It began with an unofficial “Spirit Week” among sixth-graders that started harmlessly enough with a “Hug a Friend Day.” Then there was “High Five Day.”
Soon, though, the days moved from friendly to silly. Next there was “Hit a Tall Person Day” and, finally, “Hit a Jew Day.”
A quick check of the demographics of this school district reveals a district that is 90% white, and with 70% of the households making more than $50,000 per year.
It goes without saying that this story will not become nationwide news. Because it wasn’t “Hit a Muslim Day” or “Hit a Black Day.”
The principal is handling this extremely well, not that you’d know it from the AP article. Here’s the St. Louis paper’s report.
After school Monday, Lelonek heard from the mother of one of the school’s roughly 35 Jewish students.
Lelonek called an all-sixth-grade assembly first thing Tuesday morning. She said she asked the students if they had heard of each designated “day.” Nearly all raised their hands. Then she asked, “What’s tomorrow going to be? ‘Hit A Principal Day?'”
“You could have heard a pin drop,” she said. “One started saying, ‘Oh, no, Ms. Lelonek.'”
“I said, ‘Don’t say a word.'”
Lelonek said discipline will range from parent conferences to suspensions.
She said the sixth-graders will be studying the Holocaust later this year. “It’s going to be a little more meaningful this year than it’s ever been before,” she said.
Good for her. Because someone needs to teach those children.
I lived in St. Louis for a year..and Chesterfield’s a VERY nice neighborhood.
Former Sen. Jim Talent lives near there.
That said…there’s a large number of Bosnian/Croatian muslims in the StL. area.
Ther aren’t a lot of Jews.
That MIGHT explain some of it.
I wonder what these kids are learning at home.
when I lived in St. Louis, and this was 1978-81, I did a little substitute teaching in that district; not a lot because I moved away not longer after I started. However, I have nothing but good memories.
And let’s consider, Meryl, that “Hit a Jew” day could show these junior high kids are keeping up with current events. Quite possible they got the idea for “Hit a Jew” day from following the United Nations.
I hope the Jewish kids who were hit, hit them back.
Principal Lelonek seems like a good administrator too. Sadly, they’re not enough of them in the country. Hopefully, they’ll be consequences and important lessons learned in this case.