Clements/Parsons assistant principal gets in sticky situation

A little duct tape can go a long way. Just ask Clements/Parsons Elementary Assistant Principal Kirk Balk who found himself taped to a metal partition that separates double doors in the school’s hallway.

 

Students earn “Bee Bucks” from any staff member for displaying excellent behavior. The school-wide rules are to be safe, be respectful, be responsible, be ready, and always be your best, said school counselor Jera Freeman.

 

“Our goal is to focus on the positive behavior and reward students when they exhibit one of our school rules or show awesome character,” she said. “Students have just as many ways to spend their Bee Bucks. Some students like to buy a lot of smaller items off the menu or some student likes to save their Bee Bucks and get to do something bigger that involves our principal and assistant principal.”

 

One of the bigger purchases off the school wide Bee Buck menu is to duct tape one of the assistant principals, Kirk Balk.

 

“As much as Mr. Balk may not like being taped from head to toe, this is one of the favorite by our students. Mr. Balk is always a good sport,” Freeman said.

 

Kaylee Helmer, a fifth grade student, earned 345 Bee Bucks, enough to buy the privilege of duct taping Balk. She was able to tape Balk last year as a fourth grader and promised him he would see her in fifth grade for another taping.

 

“It was really fun. It was really cool to do it again, since I did it last year,” Helmer said. “I told Mr. Balk I would get to do it again and I did.”

 

Helmer was able to choose one friend to help her and chose Rhiannon Russell.

 

“It was pretty funny to see and even funnier when he tried to get out of it,” Russell said. “It was a lot of fun shared with my best friend.”

 

Balk played along during the taping acting terrified and as if the taping was painful as he tried to wiggle free causing the students to giggle and get even more excited.

 

“I don’t mind being duct taped. The kids love it, and they work hard for it, so it makes for a fun time,” he said.