There was another incident after school today. I hesitate to call it a fight, since there wasn't any direct physical contact. Incident doesn't really convey the violence it contained though. Sticks were hurled, bottles were smashed, threats were shouted. I was sitting in my room after school with the windows open, enjoying the smell of spring. All my tutoring kids were gone and I was geting ready to leave,- before 5! I heard shouting and screams from outside and hurried to the front. Probably 10 or 12 boys were out in the parking lot with the assistant principal. Some were my students, still at school for baseball practice, some weren't. Some had removed shirts, coats, strewn belongings around the lot. Gordon was pulling J towards the school, telling him to get inside. The boys were all posturing and shouting. I went outside, staying on the steps until a student came close enough to push inside the building. One of the non-students pulled a stick from who knows where and was waving it, approaching my students. he never got close enough to hit one directly, but eventually he threw it at E. I grabbed him and pushed him inside. Then the glass bottles appeared and started flying towards the stairs as more students headed inside. I got them inside, but there was glass shattered everywhere. Another teacher got cut, but thankfully no students were hurt. I stayed inside after the glass, and the non-students somehow got a huge pole and started waving that around. Gordon got the rest of the students inside and the other boys left the parking lot, obviously waiting around the corner. "J, you can't go back out there because if you go I have to go with you and you don't want me to get hurt." Thing is, as I was getting to the front, the other teacher was calling the police. Fully ten minutes later, several minutes after everyone was gone from the area, a single squad car crept into the parking lot.

Various kids from the neighborhood- gangs, groups from other schools, assorted others- have ben involed in stuff like this too many times this year after school. Kids get jumped on the bus, come streaming into the school form sports practices outside, are threatened on the sidewalks. My students certainly aren't always innocent. There have been fights between students within the school building (though almost always between girls) and they aren't just sitting back and not fighting back or responding when it happens outside. There was a food fight during one of teh lunches today. But it wouldn't happen outside if the temptation wasn't there. I can't help but think we're just holding our breath trying to get them through three more years until they can get out, go to college, and see an alternative.

J gave me a hug before he left the building with an escort for the bus. This is the second time I've hugged him post-incident. To say I hope it's the last could predict something I dont want to think about.