A dozen parents worry about the negative influences their children face at school.

As parents of last year’s first-graders, we thank the staff and administration of Greene Central School for the time and energy they devoted to support our teachers and students. We acknowledge the exemplary job of the two first-grade teachers. We commend their hard work and dedication and believe they rose to the challenge that was presented to them this past year.

Yet, despite their sometimes “heroic” teaching skills, classroom behavior posed a serious threat to our children’s physical, emotional and academic well-being, right up to the last day of school.

During the last full week of school, one first-grade teacher told a parent that “Things are worse than ever.” Serious behaviors in these classes have been witnessed by parent volunteers over the last two school years, including hitting, punching, shoving, chairs pulled out from under students, desks being kicked over, and chairs and rocks thrown in the classroom.

As parents, we are concerned for our children’s safety, and worry that our children can be easily influenced by surrounding negative behavior.

In a letter dated April 3 to parents of first-graders, Principal Thomas P. Martellone acknowledged, “We have also had a number of situations this year where student behaviors have seriously affected the learning and safety of others,” and “Of course, as you may already be aware, we currently send students home or have suspensions that are the result of safety concerns.”

The school’s top administrator also told a parent that they were seeing seven to eight first-graders a day who had been sent out of the room after exhausting classroom behavior protocol; seven to eight first-graders had already been suspended this year; six to seven substitute teachers refuse these two first-grade classes due to extreme behaviors; and that approximately 12 out of 36 first-grade students are viewed as having behavior issues.

At the school board meeting on June 29, Principal Martellone reviewed a long list of behavioral measures that were developed specifically for the first-graders this past year. One tactic used involves what Mr. Martellone refers to as a “rap sheet” on the office wall with names and pictures of first-grade students and their assigned areas of the playground. Teachers kept these kids confined to their designated areas of the play yard to keep an eye on them and better manage behaviors.

Some parents have been raising concerns regarding these issues since kindergarten. We have patiently used the chain of command and given the school our full support. We are not looking to place blame, but rather are disheartened that the column written by Supt. Thomas Hanson seemed to minimize the severity of their behaviors and their impact on others (July 16).

We would like to say that a student’s success isn’t measured by a balanced school budget or by high numerical test scores. We want what is best for all students. The educational and emotional well-being of all students, including those with behavioral issues, are being compromised by daily negative attention.

Regardless of the differing opinions of the first Sun Journal article, parents all agree that these classes need additional support and help in order for all students to be successful. We believe that a concrete written plan that would include a third teacher for this grade, or two permanent full-time educational technicians assigned to this grade, would help meet the specific academic, emotional and physical safety needs of this class.

Sandy Laliberte and Theresa Godfrey are both residents of Greene and each have children in the first grade at Greene Central School. They have submitted this column on behalf of themselves and 10 other parents of first-graders in Greene.