Your cart is currently empty!
7-Year-Old Pulls Off Elaborate Dismissal Hoax, School Shrugs It Off
In a jaw-dropping incident in Houston, a clever 7-year-old named Bella decided she’d rather skip her after-school program. So, she whipped up a faux dismissal note and handed it over to the staff at Sheldon Elementary School. They accepted it without a second thought and sent her home on the bus. Bella ended up waiting outside her house all alone until a vigilant neighbor spotted her, scooped her up, and contacted her dad.
The reason Bella wasn’t in her after-school program? Oh, just a note that read, “I want Bella to go too dus 131 today.” Seriously, who thought that was a legitimate excuse? Her father, Mark Dempsey, couldn’t believe it when he heard the news. “You can clearly see she didn’t even spell the word bus right!” he told ABC News, flabbergasted that the staff didn’t catch the obvious red flags.
As a first-generation American, Mark reflected on his own childhood, recognizing that Bella’s handwriting definitely screamed “child” and should have raised some eyebrows. “I was shaking, scared, and just relieved to find her safe,” he expressed. Any parent would be just as troubled knowing their child managed to slip away from supervision with just a scribbled note.
The school district released a statement saying they are investigating the situation and reviewing training procedures to ensure that staff in their after-school program are adequately trained in dismissal protocols. Moving forward, they aim to guarantee that all after-school grant staff receive the same level of training as district employees. “Basically, a 7-year-old tricked the whole school system,” Mark lamented.
Not exactly the kind of headline you want to read about your child, right?
For more parenting insights, you might find this post on home insemination helpful, as well as the authority on the subject over at Progyny for some excellent information.
Summary
A 7-year-old girl named Bella successfully faked a dismissal note to skip her after-school program, leading to her being sent home alone. Her father expressed concern over the school’s oversight, and the district is now investigating the incident to improve training for staff.