Greetings, ATS!

So, during our playtime today one of my first graders came to me and said she'd found a knife. Of course I immediately went with her to get it, but in the back of my mind I thought it would be a pocket knife.

We find all sorts of things on the playground, because the community has access to it. Condoms (so gross), beer bottles, trash, even Jon's nametag from Wing Street. You just never know what you'll find. So I wasn't really that concerned about a knife.

The knife we found was NOT a pocket knife. In fact, the thing looked downright deadly. I measured the blade, from tip to shaft it was approx 14 inches long, with a slight serrated edge. This picture is pretty close to what it looked like.



The knife was hidden in the roots of a tree, covered with leaves. I asked how in the world the child had seen it; she said she saw something shiny and that's how it was found.

I turned it in to the principal, of course, but I've been worried about this all day. Did a student hide this knife? My school is K-5, so I can kinda see an older kid hiding this thing after school. Maybe as a way to impress his friends, you know. Do the whole Crocodile Dundee thing: "Now, THIS is a knife." But what if they hid it to use it?

Or what if it was someone from the community who put it there? If so....why? Why hide a knife on a playground? Hoping a child finds it and hurts themselves? Planning some kind of kamikaze attack during recess?

My school is in a very rough neighborhood. We've been in lockdown before because of a gunman on campus (he was there to shoot his ex wife, luckily she didn't show up). So we have our share of crazies, and a lot of custody disputes ongoing. Maybe that's what this is about....

So I'm on heightened alert right now, and I got in a little trouble for it. A stranger was walking down the hallway while my kids were having a restroom break, and he hadn't signed in to the office to get a VISITOR sticker. This is a huge no-no, so I confronted him. I was nice, but told him he had to go sign in. He complained to my principal, but I don't care. The rules are there for a reason.

So now I'm a nervous nelly. What do you think, ATS? Is this just one of those things that happen, or is this cause for greater concern?

Regardless, I and my fellow teachers will be MUCH more vigilant in the days to come.

If I were you, I'd have that knife tested. For all we know, somebody could have killed someone with it and hid it at the last minute. It's a good thing nobody was hurt, given the circumstances that could have taken place on the playground if someone had indeed found it without telling anyone. Which ever student came to you and brought that to your attention deserves to be free of homework for a week as a reward

Thanks for sharing this with us, pretty interesting indeed and I'm glad nobody was hurt.

Should call the cops.

I watch a lot of "The First 48"

Wow, good job for you and the little girl! I'm glad no one was hurt. It is good the police have it now, may have solved a cold case! As for the guy who was there without a pass, who cares about him, it's posted on the gates of my son's school no one enters without checking in!

Great catch of finding it and I'm glad the police have it now to deal with. I'm guessing someone is really pissed at themselves for not recovering their knife by now. That looks expensive unless it's a real cheap replica of what it looks like for the handle. I'm not sure it has anything whatever to do with the school as such though. it doesn't necessarily anyway.

What kind of neighborhood is that and how are the local kids (older kids) after dark? I know the schools when I grew up could be real different places at night for how fields and facilities got (mis)used. Things got left behind occasionally that shouldn't have been left too....I wonder if this could be a case of that? Hopefully that's all it is.

In southern sweden where I live we kids used to bring knifes to school every day, as we used them to build stuff with. You Americans are too sensitive and paranoid. "What if", "what if". All your worries keeps you from living...


Stop sheltering your kids.

It sounds like you did the right thing. As far as how it got there? The cops will probably find out. I would think this is enough of an enigma that it will be investigated. I am just glad nobody got hurt.

You might want to take this opportunity to talk to the kids about what they should do it they find something like this again. (a kid finding a gun might end badly if they pick it up) maybe have the Resource officer come in and give that talk.

Originally posted by Avgudar
In southern sweden where I live we kids used to bring knifes to school every day, as we used them to build stuff with. You Americans are too sensitive and paranoid. "What if", "what if". All your worries keeps you from living...

Stop sheltering your kids.

edit on 11-12-2012 by Avgudar because: (no reason given)

Um...

Anders Breivik.

Even in quiet, low crime, largely innocent countries, atrocities happen. It is wise to have a defense, even if the threat seems small.

nuff said?

Well luckily, nobody was hurt.

Since crimes committed with knives are typically a personal nature, and not random acts of violence, I'm curious if there are any kids attending your school with a parent who has had a restraining order slapped against them and isn't allowed to see their child. This person would have a past history of a felony, or other violence forbidding them to have a gun. This just stinks to high heaven of a parent planning to kidnap their child from the schoolyard with a knife as the threat. And this kid would have shown a real fear of this parent, not some romanticized view of who that parent is the way some children perceive a violent parent to be...

Anyhoo, think about it. And keep your eyes peeled. If I'm correct, you'll either find another knife, or you'll see this parent watching if their child goes outside with you. Any way you have access to information about restraining orders as they pertain to your students' families?

gee I miss the days of playing mumbly peg during lunch and storing my loaded hunting rifle in the principles office until after school.

reluctantpawn

Originally posted by chasingbrahman
Well luckily, nobody was hurt.

Since crimes committed with knives are typically a personal nature, and not random acts of violence, I'm curious if there are any kids attending your school with a parent who has had a restraining order slapped against them and isn't allowed to see their child. This person would have a past history of a felony, or other violence forbidding them to have a gun. This just stinks to high heaven of a parent planning to kidnap their child from the schoolyard with a knife as the threat. And this kid would have shown a real fear of this parent, not some romanticized view of who that parent is the way some children perceive a violent parent to be...

Anyhoo, think about it. And keep your eyes peeled. If I'm correct, you'll either find another knife, or you'll see this parent watching if their child goes outside with you. Any way you have access to information about restraining orders as they pertain to your students' families?

There are several parents with restraining orders against them, or involved in bitter custody disputes. One little girl in my class lives now with grandma, father purposefully t-boned their car. With the kids inside. How insane is that?

Sometimes teaching school feels like a hazardous profession. I think maybe they should require teachers to be ninjas, too.

Originally posted by reluctantpawn
gee I miss the days of playing mumbly peg during lunch and storing my loaded hunting rifle in the principles office until after school.

reluctantpawn

Yeah, that was my high school memories as well. No one thought a thing about it, either. I had my archery equipment in my car, that's where it stayed.

Different world, now....