Published in the March 7, 2018 edition
WAKEFIELD — Supt. of Schools Dr. Kim Smith alerted the community yesterday to two important upcoming events, one sanctioned by the schools and the other a national, brief walkout to remember those young people who lost their lives in the school shooting in Parkland, Florida last month.
There will be a Parent/Community Safety Summit on Wednesday, April 4, beginning at 7 p.m. in the Galvin Veterans Memorial Auditorium.
Smith wrote:
“… All are welcome. During this summit we will provide information on school safety protocols, threat assessment, and communication, including navigating the complex world of social media. We look forward to our community discussion and feedback.
“Also, Principal (Richard) Metropolis emailed high school parents today about an anticipated student walk-out on March 14. You may have heard about students across the country planning to engage in this event.
I have included the content of his email below:
“After speaking with student leaders, we know some students plan to walk out of WMHS at approximately 10 a.m. until approximately 10:17 a.m. [on March 14]. We plan to continue teaching and learning during this time period even though some students may choose to respectfully exit the building.
“No student should feel pressured or coerced to participate in the walkout. School administration and staff are prepared to ensure the safety of students inside and outside the building. While there will be no disciplinary consequences associated with students walking out on the 14th for this orderly event, other actions outside of this event may be subject to discipline.
“As always, we are a closed campus during the school day and will not allow visitors to join the student assembly outside.
“Because our school community is guided by our core values, I am confident that all students will act in a respectful and caring manner. The role of adults will be to support teaching and learning as well as student safety.”
