How Were Parking Passes Handled At The New Tewksbury High?
Tewksbury High Principal Brenda Theriault-Regan answers a question from a reader about how parking passes were administered.
This week's question was submitted by the mother of a Tewksbury High student, who was concerned about something she had heard this week.
Question: "I've been told that the high school football players were given parking spaces two weeks ahead of the general population of high school students. Curious as to why? Are they somehow superior to the rest of the high school students? Also heard they got to hand pick their spaces. As a parent of a very hard working student I find it unfair and would like to know the thought process behind this."
Answer: We went directly to Tewksbury High Principal Brenda Theriault-Regan for the answer on this question and she provided the following answer.
"Not true on the parking passes for TMHS football players ... or anyone for that matter. All senior parking passes were issued yesterday (Thursday, Aug. 23) starting at 9 a.m. ... and the line was all done by about 10 a.m. (not sure how many passes were issued). Students who could not be physically present sent a representative to wait in line for them (with their license and registration).
Only seniors in good standing, and with 100 credits or more were issued passes (we had the list). Finally, the passes are all shuffled up, so it is totally random as to which parking space a student would get."
Audrey Kelly
3:52 pm on Friday, August 24, 2012
Thanks Bill. Hope that is true because this same issue came up 4 years ago when my other senior got her parking pass. Persistent rumor I guess.
Carl T
4:27 pm on Friday, August 24, 2012
Principal Regan is obviously lying to cover up the fact that this rumor is true. The football boys left for camp before parking permits were distributed so they were allowed to get theirs early. This happens every year because football players at TMHS are treated as royalty and all others are far inferior. Think I'm exaggerating? Last year our fall sports pep rally was cancelled but we still had a pep rally the day before the thanksgiving football game that focused solely on the football team. Every student in all 4 grades sat in the stands while teacher and coach Mr.Aylward introduced each and every football player and spoke a few words about them. No other athletes got any kind of recognition. No students with outstanding academics got this kind of recognition. Doesn't seem fair to me, but it never has been and everyone seems to have just accepted that this is just the way things work at the ever disfunctional TMHS.
Mike
4:45 pm on Friday, August 24, 2012
Your an idiot its like that in every high school every year and they always do them at TMHS. I just graduated this year there and everyone had fun at the pep rallies. Andy they did a pep rally for our hockey team 2 years ago when they made it to the championship game so they just dont do them for the football team. What are you talking about the fall sports pep rally getting cancelled? There was never one planned. Its always the Thanksgiving Game pep rally. You don't have a clue what your talking about.
Coppertopper
6:26 pm on Friday, August 24, 2012
"You're" ... heavy sigh
Karen Torres
7:05 pm on Friday, August 24, 2012
That is not true. I know for a fact the Football Players who are seniors did not get parking passes early. They had to leave for camp on Wednesday, so they could not be there Thursday, so they had to have copies of everything and someone had to get the passes for them, just as the Principal said. Some people have nothing else to do but complain. My son is a Senior on the Football team and he did not get a parking pass early. Hope this puts this rumor to rest.
Mom to a few
6:09 pm on Friday, August 24, 2012
Carl, the football team went to the Superbowl at Gillette Stadium this past year- does that not warrant a pep rally? The hockey team had one a few years ago when they played at the Garden. Do these teams NOT deserve some recognition amongst their peers? I would hope that there would be a pep rally for any team that gets that far.
Mike
6:52 pm on Friday, August 24, 2012
It's ok everyone Carl must be a Wilmington Wilcat fan he doesn't know what Tewksbury Tough is
Mike
7:49 pm on Friday, August 24, 2012
Karen is right. I went to school with her son Eric and the football players had to give everything to someone to get their permit for them.
Wellthatsinteresting
8:35 pm on Friday, August 24, 2012
Lets talk about why parking passes are even necessary. We're paying all these millions for a new building. There should be enough parking for anyone that wants to park. No passes. No favoritism. Everyone should be treated the same. Everyone should be able to park. I hope this nonsense is only temporary until the old building is gone because if it isnt temporary then the planning on parking was totally botched.
Comment
10:07 pm on Friday, August 24, 2012
wellthatsinteresting - There will be plenty of parking when the demolition of the old school is completed. Why not research a little before spouting off. I don't know how it's planned for the future, but I think they SHOULD have passes, as parking at the school should be a priviledge and not a right.
Wellthatsinteresting
5:37 pm on Saturday, August 25, 2012
Of course in the good old USA we're all entitled to our opinions. If theres going to be plenty of spaces when the old building comes down then fine, as i said earlier. Im still totally opposd to needing a pass to park. Just curious though, why do you feel there should be parking passes? My opinion is a portion of my taxes pay for the building, the parking lot and the salaries of everyone working at that school. Why then should I be "priviledged" to park my childs/students car there? I'm also saving the town the trouble and expense of busing my child there. Needing a pass to park is a joke.
trish
1:21 am on Saturday, August 25, 2012
I am pretty sure the football team did get their passes early. They were gettin papers ready before they left for camp. They were talkin about their spaces
Comment
3:40 pm on Sunday, August 26, 2012
I believe issuing parking passes to students is important. I think they should have to show they and the car is legally registered and they are legally licensed. while I don't think the school should have to monitor the type of license the student has, I think it's good for the student to know it's on record so perhaps a junior operator won't illegally fill their car with their friends. I also think it's safer for the students to know that in their parking lot, the vehicles there are definitely belonging to other students. And that those vehicles are known to belong. If someone doesn't belong at the school and parks in some student's parking lot, it will draw attention to the person and why the hell they are on school grounds. I also think if a student is found with drugs/alcohol, exessively late, etc. their parking should be revoked.
Unfortunately, in this day and age, I prefer to have what vehicles are parked at the schools documented.
Wellthatsinteresting
6:30 pm on Sunday, August 26, 2012
I have to admit, you make a few good points.
trish
2:25 pm on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
I agree with you about knowing who parks there. and also if they are caught with drugs they should be revoked to drive on school property however they (the pd) do not do enough to monitor the drugs on school grounds. maybe this year they should do more.
Tewksbury2001
5:57 am on Monday, August 27, 2012
Are there assigned spaces as well?
malcolm nichols
9:25 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Why shouldn't the football & hockey team get 1st choice. All student are equal just some a more equal than others.
malcolm nichols
9:26 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Ps chess club need not apply.
Dirk Anderson
6:54 pm on Friday, September 7, 2012
Carl, did the football team give you a wedgie?