Warning hits sour note at graduation
By NANCY SHIELDS
ASBURY PARK -- As she watched her niece graduate from kindergarten yesterday, Sherri Stanard's pride turned to shock and anger when a vice principal told the children to stand up to demonstrate that he believed one-third of a kindergarten class would not make it through high school because of alcohol, drugs or pregnancy.
"He asked the kids to stand up, and he told us to take a good look at these kids because a third of them will not graduate from high school or make it to high school because they will be too busy drugging, drinking or getting pregnant," said Stanard, 42, of Neptune. Stanard said she also has a niece in first grade at the Bangs Avenue Elementary School, where the vice principal, Paul J. Banik Jr., has worked for three decades.
"Whatever point he was trying to get across, he seemed to be saying these kids wouldn't make it at all," Stanard said. "But you don't do this on the morning that these little 5- and 6-year-old kids are having the moment of their life."
Banik could not be reached for comment yesterday at school or at his Sea Girt home.
Stanard praised the kindergarten ceremony, except for Banik's comments.
Howard Mednick, the school's principal for the past two years, said that the context of Stanard's account was basically correct, but that Banik did tell the audience he was not talking about the children standing up.
Still, Mednick said, he was unhappy with the comment and had spoken to Banik afterward.
"I could not have anticipated that," the principal said. "So basically, he's been spoken to already, but is being dealt with on the school level. You don't know how badly I feel about this."
He said until Banik's remark, the ceremony had focused on "how wonderful our day was, how talented our kids were and how excited our parents were."
Schools Superintendent Antonio Lewis yesterday said he learned of the incident when Mednick came to the central offices to express his concern about what had happened.
"I spoke to Mr. Mednick, and we will speak to Mr. Banik" today, Lewis said.
:drinky:
:weed:
By NANCY SHIELDS
ASBURY PARK -- As she watched her niece graduate from kindergarten yesterday, Sherri Stanard's pride turned to shock and anger when a vice principal told the children to stand up to demonstrate that he believed one-third of a kindergarten class would not make it through high school because of alcohol, drugs or pregnancy.
"He asked the kids to stand up, and he told us to take a good look at these kids because a third of them will not graduate from high school or make it to high school because they will be too busy drugging, drinking or getting pregnant," said Stanard, 42, of Neptune. Stanard said she also has a niece in first grade at the Bangs Avenue Elementary School, where the vice principal, Paul J. Banik Jr., has worked for three decades.
"Whatever point he was trying to get across, he seemed to be saying these kids wouldn't make it at all," Stanard said. "But you don't do this on the morning that these little 5- and 6-year-old kids are having the moment of their life."
Banik could not be reached for comment yesterday at school or at his Sea Girt home.
Stanard praised the kindergarten ceremony, except for Banik's comments.
Howard Mednick, the school's principal for the past two years, said that the context of Stanard's account was basically correct, but that Banik did tell the audience he was not talking about the children standing up.
Still, Mednick said, he was unhappy with the comment and had spoken to Banik afterward.
"I could not have anticipated that," the principal said. "So basically, he's been spoken to already, but is being dealt with on the school level. You don't know how badly I feel about this."
He said until Banik's remark, the ceremony had focused on "how wonderful our day was, how talented our kids were and how excited our parents were."
Schools Superintendent Antonio Lewis yesterday said he learned of the incident when Mednick came to the central offices to express his concern about what had happened.
"I spoke to Mr. Mednick, and we will speak to Mr. Banik" today, Lewis said.
:drinky:
:weed:
