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["Melody O." <melody AT crecon.com>]

Stories like this make me so glad I homeschool; my children can stay
children longer.

First Grader Punished for Bag of Dirt 
By: Tony Hensley 
http://www.kfvs12.com/Global/story.asp?S=2919630

Sikeston, Missouri --A Southeast Missouri first grader finds herself in big
trouble after playing with a plastic bag she found on the playground.

It happened last tuesday during recess at Mathews Elementary in Sikeston, MO.

The girl's mother says her daughter used the bag to make her friend a
present. But, her teacher didn't see it that way.

Tuesday Heartland News spoke with 6-year-old Michaela Boyd, and her mother
Michele. They tell Heartland News teachers confused a hand-gathered gift of
nature's goodies with a bag of marijuana.

"There was nothing in the bag i just found it on the ground." Said first
grader Michaela Boyd.

After finding the bag much like the one disposable utensils come in,
Michaela says she decided to make her friend a bag of goodies, "They said
what did you make this out of. and what did you tell them. I said out of
dirt. And what else. I made it with rocks, clover and dirt."

Her mom, Michele, says after Michaela put the mixture into the bag, she
tied the top with a purple ponytail holder and gave it to her friend
saying,"here's a bag of dirt."

After recess was over the student gave the bag of dirt to their teacher.

Michele says after meeting with the teacher and principal, she was told
that the bag of dirt, "looked like a bag of weed."

Michaela says, "They said it was kind of a drug. I don't know what they are
I only see cigarettes. That's all I say."

Heartland News spoke with superintendent Stephen Borgsmiller about what
happened here on the playground last Tuesday and he says while he can not
comment on this particular case given the childs age. He did tell me that
after gathering all the information an assessment was made and now they are
moving on."

Michele says she doesn't deny what her daughter did. But she does disagree
with the two-day in-school detention. "They said it would be on her school
record as far as disciplinary that she made a look alike drug but I don't
feel like that's right. Because she didn't do anything wrong."

Michele says her daughter served her two day, in-school detention last
Thursday and Friday. And while she's still upset with the schools actions,
Michele is not considering moving her daughter to another school.