I attended St. Patrick Catholic School, Arroyo Grande for nine years (1997 - 2006, Kindergarten - 8th grade). Throughout those nine years, I endured numerous traumatic situations that continue to haunt me through this day. I was bullied by many classmates, mainly the girls, and was treated poorly by staff and faculty members, especially the principal.
The staff perpetually instilled the idea in my mind that I was not smart enough and that I would need a tutor, even in high school. I enjoyed basketball and wanted to play on the school team, but I was told I was not allowed to, due to the fact that I was "too short." I tried out volleyball but the coaches rarely allowed me to participate in the games. I had low self-esteem because of this which endures through this day.
I have one traumatic memory of several (six) girls (two in the class above me and four in my own class) pushing me around in a circle, bullying me, during lunch time recess. The staff that were supervising recess did not stop the girls from pushing me. I have another memory of the biggest bully of them all stealing my watch and my ring. I was cyber-bullied by this same girl. She made a fake "Myspace" account of me and wrote on it how "ugly" I was, and that I needed to k*** myself. At school, she used foul language/profanity that I had never before heard of. I mentioned to the principal that she was bullying me and she told me (despite full proof I provided) that I was not telling the truth; I got in trouble instead of her.
At one point, I had scratches on my arms and legs from my animals and was sent in to the school counselor because of this; I remember being told by the principal that my meetings with the school counselor were to be "secret" and if I told my parents about the "secret meetings"/said a word about them, I would never see my parents again. My parents ended up finding out about these meetings and were livid.
When I was twelve years old, the St. Patrick School bus driver gave me a massage on the shoulders that made me extremely uncomfortable. I told the principal, and the principal called me a liar and did nothing about it; I don't believe this was ever even mentioned to the bus driver as he remained in his position as if nothing had ever happened. I never rode the bus again after that happened.
I have another memory of my mom having to have emergency surgery and my dad picking me up late. I told the after school care teacher why my dad was late and I remember her telling me, "Yeah right; your mom is just making an excuse to be late." I called my dad and told him about this, and I remember him coming in to pick me up, again livid, saying "How dare you call my daughter a liar!" My dad was then banned from the school campus for two months after the after school care teacher completely changed the story around and said that my dad "threatened" her, which he did not.
Another memory: One time, I added a couple of blonde streaks to my hair just like the other girls; it was barely noticeable. The principal told me that I "wasn't allowed to graduate" (two weeks before graduation) if I didn't get rid of them. I was the only one of all of the girls who got in trouble for this.
On graduation day, the girls made me cry for making fun of me for having the same graduation dress as another girl in the class. They were so mean to me.
No one should ever experience what I did, especially at a private, "Catholic" school. I have nightmares still, to this day, about the experiences I mentioned; they traumatized me and ended up resulting in PTSD. It has been 17 years since I stepped foot at St. Patrick Catholic School and I will never go back; I would never imagine sending my children there. My parents assumed I was getting a "better education" there, which was why they enrolled me, but the bullying and unfair behavior was and is not worth it. read more
