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High School Bans Valentine's Day Gifts

Posted on: Tuesday, 11 February 2003, 06:00 CST

High School Bans Valentine's Day Gifts

source: Associated Press Strange News

AUCKLAND, New Zealand - If lovestruck students at an Auckland high school want to surprise their Valentine on Friday, they'd better do it before or after classes.

Principal Allan Peachey of Rangitoto College in the northern city said Tuesday deliveries of flowers and other gifts are a distraction from the classroom.

"Youngsters come to school to do English, math and science, that sort of thing, not to have their attention disrupted," he said.

"We are not talking about a mini workplace with half a dozen employees ... we have nearly 3,000 students," Peachey added.

He sent a reminder to parents and friends this month requesting them not to send gifts to the school, but to students' homes — a policy he said has been in place for years.

Other schools in the city have no problem with the odd delivery of flowers or chocolates.

Frankie Wynne, deputy principal of Avondale College estimated about 20 bunches of flowers would be delivered to the 2,700 students and staff on Valentine's Day.

"If anything we are quite happy for this to happen. It's one day of the year," she said. "It's rather a nice thing having flowers."

John Morris, headmaster of Auckland Grammar boys' school, expects some of the boys to receive roses from girls at nearby private schools.

"It's a bit of a laugh. The flowers are delivered in class. It's quite embarrassing for them," Morris said.

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Copyright © 2003 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

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