Williams Lake’s high school principal is hosting a town hall meeting next week in hopes of tapping the brakes on Grade 12 students already hosting outside, overnight “grad camp-outs.”
“These kids really put you to the test,” said Lake City Secondary School principal, Gregg Gaylord.
Gaylord said unsanctioned “grad” parties where alcohol and drugs are consumed by under-aged students are not something new to the after school scene, however, a recent outdoor gathering at Chimney Lake has left him wondering if the situation doesn’t deserve a broader conversation across the community.
“This school does not condone this behaviour, we don’t support it,” said Gaylord, who was thrust into dealing with the recent after-school situation when a Chimney Lake resident blocked students into an area where barricades were removed and called the local fire department and police to deal with the large party.
“This school does not condone this behaviour, we don’t support, and they’re doing this in the middle of the week. I just don’t know what to do. I think we need to talk about this as a community.”
Gaylord said the situation has left him to wonder out loud whether the school should even support Grade 12 Dry Grad festivities where close to $100,000 is donated by the community for students to receive scholarships and also celebrate the completion of their high school success, drug and alcohol free.
“Ultimately, we have to ask ourselves is Dry Grad working? These kids are partying the first two weeks into September,” he said. “What message are we sending.”
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Gaylord, who has worked in Williams Lake as a teacher or principal since 1991, said the latest behaviour has left him with more questions than answers. He has many concerns about the risky behaviour at grad camp-outs such as drinking and driving, drugs and students coming to school the next day still impaired.
“Ultimately I care about the kids in the building and I don’t want to see anybody get hurt.”
Gaylord can’t force anyone to attend the town hall-style meeting he has planned for next week, however, he has been encouraging all of the students to attend.
The meeting is set to take place Thursday, Oct. 4 from noon to 1 p.m. at the Williams Lake campus in the gymnasium and will include speakers from the RCMP, fire department and city.
Gaylord said the intent of the meeting is to have an honest dialog with the students, their parents and community leaders.
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