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Third graders plot attack on teacher
Story here.
I was schooled by the Old Nuns. They would not have worried about attacks with conventional weapons. Nor called the police. They would simply have ripped an arm off the ringleader and used it to beat him to death. These were 4'2" 90 year old women who could have cowed a Marine DO. The DO may act like God, but these women had a direct pipeline to God's mother.
I remember one incident where I had misbehaved in some minor way, and was standing at attention before the Old Nun's desk.
"There are some schools where you would be allowed to do that, Mr. Hardy. (Even at 13, you were "Mister"). Do you know what they are called?"
"No, Sister."
"They are called (sneering tone) progressive schools. This is NOT a progressive school. Do you understand that?"
"Yes, Sister."
(I later found out that "progressive education" was a concept of some Dewey fellow, same guy who invented the libraries' Dewey Decimal Code. No idea what a progressive school was, except that 7th grade at All Saints' was NOT it). And yes, they drove us hard and taught us well.).
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Oh, do I remember the nuns from Saint Mary's! They brooked no insubordination and insisted on excellence.
The only nuns I ever knew were in a part of my family, can't say I found many admirable traits in them. Of course, that could have been genetic deficiency.
That story reminded me of this bizarre art film starring Kris Kristofferson where he hooks up with a young widow and the movie ends with him about to be done in the same way by a similar nasty bunch. Librarians feel free to come up with the title.
Acting up at Sts.Peter and Paul would have resulted in a slight beating from a ruler on the hands if it was a "touching offense" or the yard stick across the rear-end for pretty much all others.
Funny thing, my parents never got upset with the Nuns, and I would end up with another spanking and or grounding. Heh, funny....
I am reminded of my high school chemistry and physics teacher, Sr. Rita Xavier. She usually carried a hawkbill pocket knife in the pocket of her habit and I don't think she'd have been afraid to use it if necessary. Frankly, I don't think much of anything scared her!
Sorry to be a pedant, but the Dewey who came up with Progressive education was the philosopher John Dewey. The Dewey of the Dewey Decimal System was Mr. Melvil Dewey.
http://liswiki.org/wiki/Melvil_Dewey
(and yes, I am a Librarian).