Emily Mlynarek ’14 | Staff Writer

After an increased amount of physical altercations this school year, administration is taking steps to prevent future conflicts.

The administration did not want to go into the exact number of fights, but it did confirm there has been an increase since last year, Principal Dr. Matt Outlaw said.

“This (number of altercations) is still dramatically less than most schools, but it is still unacceptable for South,” said Outlaw. “At South, our goal is to have zero fights.”

During the previous school year, the total number was  58 percent lower than the 2010-2011 school year. This dramatic decrease was credited to a presence in the hallways, proactive communication and an overall positive attitude in school, Outlaw said.

“This school year, we are doing a variety of things to prevent students from fighting,” said Outlaw.

The administration plans on continuing last year’s policies but is also focusing on other ways to prevent conflict between students, such as the student-initiated committee “Concerned Students”, Outlaw said.

“I’ve noticed not so much physical or face-to-face fighting but more of a negative attitude over the web,” said Concerned Students member Jordan Kavanaugh ’14. “This eventually works its way into the way people feel and act at school.”

Concerned Students, headed by Assistant Principal Terry Flint, is focusing on students taking ownership of the school and its atmosphere, Outlaw said.

“Fights break out once in a blue moon,” said Alex Lagrou ‘13. “But I did not realize that fighting had become an issue at South.”

Any students involved in physical conflict are subject to consequences, regardless of who initiated the fight, Outlaw said.

“We are going to have very strong consequences for any student who chooses to resort to physical conflict,” said Outlaw. “Consequences for physical fighting are a 10-day suspension up through expulsion.”

Too many students have chosen to resolve conflict in a physical manner, Outlaw said.

“This is a small speed bump, but one we need to be mindful of,” said Outlaw.

[info]To prevent fights:

1) Students need to resolve conflict quickly; don’t let things get out of hand.

2) Seek adult assistance if needed. Any adult in the building is here to help students.

3) Understand that failure to resolve conflict quickly will result in severe consequences.

4) Remember that we do not fight at Grosse Pointe South under any circumstances. [/info]