Open Forum

I have a student who was in the programmme for three years, and was inducted. Last year they acted disreputably. They are not in any classes, nor have they been involved in productions. now they are trying to order graduation honours.  advise please.

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Blair Biederman
AZ
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The student doesn't have access to ordering, only you do. I would say don't order them. I actually have my kids and their parents sign a contract that states if they are not in good standing (which it sounds like this kid isn't) then they forfeit all thespian privileges (graduation stoles being one of them). I had a parent one year take it to administration because their kid didn't thing but wanted the stoles. I won that battle because they had signed the contract. Maybe put something like that into effect for next year?

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Carolyn Little
High School English Teacher
Toms River Board of Education
Beachwood NJ
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Original Message:
Sent: 4/12/2017 11:12:08 AM
From: blair.biederman@gilbertschools.net
Subject: Can someone who has not been involved senior year still wear cords or stole?

I have a student who was in the programmme for three years, and was inducted. Last year they acted disreputably. They are not in any classes, nor have they been involved in productions. now they are trying to order graduation honours.  advise please.

------------------------------
Blair Biederman
AZ
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I wouldn't order them if you do not think the honors are deserved; but talk to your administration before you make the decision to ensure they'll back you. I have a set date for seniors to have requested their points to be inputted and if they miss the date... oh well. It's their responsibility. I also remind the students that I have the right to pull their graduation honors if I believe they no longer reflect what a thespian should be. It is an honor not a guarantee.

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Shira Schwartz
Chandler Unified School District
Chandler AZ
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-12-2017 12:54
From: Carolyn Little
Subject: Can someone who has not been involved senior year still wear cords or stole?

The student doesn't have access to ordering, only you do. I would say don't order them. I actually have my kids and their parents sign a contract that states if they are not in good standing (which it sounds like this kid isn't) then they forfeit all thespian privileges (graduation stoles being one of them). I had a parent one year take it to administration because their kid didn't thing but wanted the stoles. I won that battle because they had signed the contract. Maybe put something like that into effect for next year?

---------------------------------
Carolyn Little
High School English Teacher
Toms River Board of Education
Beachwood NJ
---------------------------------



Original Message:
Sent: 4/12/2017 11:12:08 AM
From: blair.biederman@gilbertschools.net
Subject: Can someone who has not been involved senior year still wear cords or stole?

I have a student who was in the programmme for three years, and was inducted. Last year they acted disreputably. They are not in any classes, nor have they been involved in productions. now they are trying to order graduation honours.  advise please.

------------------------------
Blair Biederman
AZ
------------------------------

Is there any rule that they need to be active ? t I am trying to determine if they are even eligible...
They have not been involved in Theatre at all this year.

------------------------------
Blair Biederman
Gilbert AZ
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-12-2017 11:12
From: Blair Biederman
Subject: Can someone who has not been involved senior year still wear cords or stole?

I have a student who was in the programmme for three years, and was inducted. Last year they acted disreputably. They are not in any classes, nor have they been involved in productions. now they are trying to order graduation honours.  advise please.

------------------------------
Blair Biederman
AZ
------------------------------

Original Message------

Is there any rule that they need to be active ? t I am trying to determine if they are even eligible...
They have not been involved in Theatre at all this year.

------------------------------
Blair Biederman
Gilbert AZ
------------------------------

Our Troupe Bylaws state that students must be in good standing and active in the troupe in order to receive awards at the end of any year.  Our Troupe awards Graduation Cords only to the Seniors who have earned Honor Bars which means these are the committed and dedicated Thespians.  

I have only had to deny cords once.  It was early on in my tenure here and the Senior in question didn't care for me so didn't participate in the Spring show, didn't fill out a points card and didn't attend awards night.  She showed up at Graduation with cords and sauntered my way twirling them.  I simply greeted her and ignored the cords. Wherever she got them, she didn't earn them and we will both always know that.  Hopefully, it became a learning moment for her.  


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Amy Learn
Ballwin MO
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-13-2017 07:43
From: Hillary Bogers
Subject: Can someone who has not been involved senior year still wear cords or stole?

It is my understanding that you, as troupe director, determine who wears which honors fro graduation. Does your troupe lay out what a thespian needs to earn honors in the constitution? If no, then you decide. 

I would say no. 

--

Hillary Bogers

Theatre Director

Jack Britt High School

910-429-2800

This e-mail is for the sole use of the individual for whom it is intended. If you are neither the intended recipient, nor agent responsible for delivering this e-mail to the intended recipient, any disclosure, re-transmission, copying, or reliance on the information contained herein is prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the person transmitting the correspondence immediately. All e-mail correspondence to and from this email may be subject to disclosure to any third party upon request, including the media. It shall not be necessary to disclose: 1) E-mail correspondence which does not constitute a Public Record as defined under N.C.G.S. §132.1 or; 2) a public record which is exempt from disclosure under other applicable State or Federal law.

All troupes are governed by a constitution that's provided by ITS. Part of Article III Section 3 states:

"In extreme cases a Thespian's status as a member in good standing of the local troupe may be suspended or withdrawn by the troupe director for just cause. Such decisions are subject to oversight by the school administration. This may affect any or all participation rights and benefits that require the troupe director's authorization, but will not affect membership and benefits that come directly from the ITS national office." 

In the ITS website, the middle and high school teacher sections both have links to the constitution under the Resources list in the lower right of the page.

David

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David LaFleche
Director of Membership
Educational Theatre Association
Cincinnati OH
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-12-2017 17:40
From: Blair Biederman
Subject: Can someone who has not been involved senior year still wear cords or stole?

Is there any rule that they need to be active ? t I am trying to determine if they are even eligible...
They have not been involved in Theatre at all this year.

------------------------------
Blair Biederman
Gilbert AZ
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-12-2017 11:12
From: Blair Biederman
Subject: Can someone who has not been involved senior year still wear cords or stole?

I have a student who was in the programmme for three years, and was inducted. Last year they acted disreputably. They are not in any classes, nor have they been involved in productions. now they are trying to order graduation honours.  advise please.

------------------------------
Blair Biederman
AZ
------------------------------

"Act well your part; there all the honour lies." 
                              ~Alexander Pope

For US, everything you do in front of the director is an audition. On stage and off. Acting is about relationships and trust. If you cannot be trusted, you won't make it very far on our stage. Your behavior that honors the troupe earns you honors. And visa versa.  Act disreputably, no honors.  Ask Pete Rose how he likes the Hall of Fame.

I don't care if they couldn't participate senior year -- life happens -- but poor behavior is a choice. Your choice, your consequence. If they earned the honor, cool. They served with excellence when they could.

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Paul Townsend
Coronado High School
Scottsdale AZ
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-12-2017 17:40
From: Blair Biederman
Subject: Can someone who has not been involved senior year still wear cords or stole?

Is there any rule that they need to be active ? t I am trying to determine if they are even eligible...
They have not been involved in Theatre at all this year.

------------------------------
Blair Biederman
Gilbert AZ
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-12-2017 11:12
From: Blair Biederman
Subject: Can someone who has not been involved senior year still wear cords or stole?

I have a student who was in the programmme for three years, and was inducted. Last year they acted disreputably. They are not in any classes, nor have they been involved in productions. now they are trying to order graduation honours.  advise please.

------------------------------
Blair Biederman
AZ
------------------------------

I think it is important to establish and maintain good communication; to set standards; and to have periodic benchmarks or evaluations along the way so students, teachers, parents, administrators and stakeholders know where things stand and what is expected of each player. 

In our program, we meet yearly to review student point record sheets, and I am very careful to discuss participation with students that I see distancing themselves from the troupe.  We also have a "drama contract" in place that students and parents sign for each production and I try to make the bylaws and other troupe documents available to students at our first meeting each year.  I think this approach clarifies expectations for everyone.

Ultimately, I think these decisions rest with the Troupe Director and local admin and I would encourage good communication between students, parents and educators.

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Michael Johnson
Trinity NC
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-12-2017 11:12
From: Blair Biederman
Subject: Can someone who has not been involved senior year still wear cords or stole?

I have a student who was in the programmme for three years, and was inducted. Last year they acted disreputably. They are not in any classes, nor have they been involved in productions. now they are trying to order graduation honours.  advise please.

------------------------------
Blair Biederman
AZ
------------------------------

Some years ago this question came up at our AZ Thespians leadership retreat.  One school commented their policy was that if a student didn't earn at least 10 Thespian points during their senior year - thumbs down on graduation cords.  We immediately adopted that policy because we were having students perform and earning points during their freshman and/or sophomore years and then we didn't see them again until just before graduation with their hands out for the cords - even though they had earned the 60 points (Honor Thespian rank) that we require for the cords.  That solved the problem - once and for all.

------------------------------
Steve Halper
Theatre Assistant & Co-sponsor
Salpointe Catholic High School
Tucson, AZ
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-12-2017 11:12
From: Blair Biederman
Subject: Can someone who has not been involved senior year still wear cords or stole?

I have a student who was in the programmme for three years, and was inducted. Last year they acted disreputably. They are not in any classes, nor have they been involved in productions. now they are trying to order graduation honours.  advise please.

------------------------------
Blair Biederman
AZ
------------------------------

It is my first year at the HS level and all of this awards business. In previous years it seems to have been up to the club/troupe sponsor. I am trying to institute more specific rules, but I am behind this year. My understanding, at our school, is that cords are connected to lettering, and once they have earned   a letter, any year, they can walk with cords. We have just started to be an active ITS chapter (last year) and I just arrived this year, so I plan to review the club constitution over the summer and line things up next year. As for this year, so far I don't have any problems in this regard. But that could change, graduation is still a few weeks away.

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[Ron] [Gingerich]
[Drama Teacher]
[Phoenix] [AZ]
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-14-2017 23:09
From: Steve Halper
Subject: Can someone who has not been involved senior year still wear cords or stole?

Some years ago this question came up at our AZ Thespians leadership retreat.  One school commented their policy was that if a student didn't earn at least 10 Thespian points during their senior year - thumbs down on graduation cords.  We immediately adopted that policy because we were having students perform and earning points during their freshman and/or sophomore years and then we didn't see them again until just before graduation with their hands out for the cords - even though they had earned the 60 points (Honor Thespian rank) that we require for the cords.  That solved the problem - once and for all.

------------------------------
Steve Halper
Theatre Assistant & Co-sponsor
Salpointe Catholic High School
Tucson, AZ
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-12-2017 11:12
From: Blair Biederman
Subject: Can someone who has not been involved senior year still wear cords or stole?

I have a student who was in the programmme for three years, and was inducted. Last year they acted disreputably. They are not in any classes, nor have they been involved in productions. now they are trying to order graduation honours.  advise please.

------------------------------
Blair Biederman
AZ
------------------------------