Even though it may have felt like there were more hallway fights at the beginning of this school year, there weren’t.

According to Assistant Principal Dr. Buchwald, “The fighting at the beginning of the year this year has not been different [from other years].” She has the documentation to prove it, so those rumors about an increase in fights were not true.

Sometimes there are flare-ups of fighting, and one of those times is the beginning of a school year. At the beginning of the year, some sixth graders “come in with a ‘tough-guy’ mentality,” Dr. Buchwald said. “Students are trying to find friends and get used to a new school. Everybody is trying to make a good community, and things start to settle down as students are learning more curriculum.”

The consequences for fighting really do vary. If two kids fight and they sit down and figure it out, they can go on with their day. If they don’t want to talk and figure it out, the result could be in-school suspension or maybe even out-of-school suspension. If the fight was planned, they will definitely get an out-of-school suspension. If it keeps happening, it is possible to be expelled, though Dr. Buchwald has never needed to expel a student before.

All students and staff play a role in preventing fights here at VMSS. Staff are making themselves more visible in the halls. Dr. Buchwald says one of the ways students are helping out is by building relationships. “Two kids who know each other won’t get in a fight.”