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UPDATE (12:14 p.m.)—A Ravens pep rally has created a bit of controversy at Roland Park Elementary and Middle School.
The Ravens Purple Fridays Caravan, which was scheduled to make its second stop at Alonso’s in as many weeks on Friday, also planned to make a stop for a pep rally at the school for students in kindergarten through sixth grade.
Karen DeCamp, who has two children at the school, said her daughter told her that teachers informed students that they would not be able to attend the rally on Friday morning if they didn’t wear purple.
However, the wardrobe requirements rubbed some parents the wrong way.
According to the Baltimore Sun, students were told if they didn't wear purple they would be sent to the library instead.
Calls to Carolyn Cole, the school's principal, were not immediately returned.
However this post from the school's Facebook account was left with Patch:
Roland Park Public Elementary/Middle School All children who wished to attend the pep rally were able to attend. Purple Friday attire was encouraged, as it is whenever we celebrate Purple Friday, and of course our school uniforms are ALWAYS accepted attire. Our library is a wonderful... place, and definitely not viewed as a place for punishment. Children who did not want to attend the pep rally, for whatever reason, were able to spend supervised time in the library.
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Roland Park Elementary and Middle School
5207 Roland Ave, Baltimore, MD -
Alonso's Restaurant & Packaged Goods
415 W Cold Spring Ln, Baltimore, MD
Retta Barkley
11:58 am on Friday, January 20, 2012
Sometimes teachers do not check with principals before dictating things like purple clothing on a certain day. I AM SURE THE PRINCIPAL DID NOT REQUIRE PURPLE OR THE CHILDREN COULD NOT PARTICIPATE. Principals and teachers in cases like this always have purple things available for children who forget to wear that day's color: ie. fabric for draping, scarves, gloves, hats, "diamond bracelets"...etc in purple so everyone can participate. Retta Barkley, A MD Educator for over 30 years.
Teacher
4:53 pm on Friday, January 20, 2012
Retta Barkley-if you are not an RPEMS teacher, please don't make assumptions. I'm sure teachers WERE told to inform the parents of this information, as almost ALL of them sent the same information out with similar phrasing. It seem that the teachers at Roland Park are being thrown under the bus for an administration who cannot admit that they made a poor decision.
JAM
8:58 am on Saturday, January 21, 2012
RPEMS Principal Cole sent an email out to the listserve on Thursday afternoon informing parents of the pep rally. There was no mention about what to wear in the email. The only request was to come early if possible because the rally would start promptly at 8:05.
From my experience, RPEMS has always allowed students to wear their uniform on dress up days.
kristen
9:02 am on Saturday, January 21, 2012
I agree with you, Teacher. My child came home saying the exact information, told to her by more than just a few teachers. It seems Ms. Cole would rather make her hard-working teachers look bad than admit she may have screwed up.