Dear Parents, Guardians, Students and Staff,
At approximately 10:40 am today, the local police dispatch received an urgent call alleging that an incident had occurred at Drury High School. This call was part of a multiple district report impacting schools across the state, and our administration, teachers, and emergency responders took the intended threat seriously and responded by implementing our emergency operations plan to evacuate the students from the school. After a thorough search of the school, the building was determined to be safe and students were returned to their homerooms for an attendance check and then to continue their educational day.
This “swatting” incident as reported to law enforcement across the state by the Massachusetts Fusion Center, while not serious or causing any physical harm or danger to any of our students or staff, did cause a significant disruption to the operations of our school and an increased level of alarm for all involved. The timing of this incident is certainly intended to cause disruption and anxiety with the most recent events that have occurred in Nashville.
The safety of our students and staff remains our highest priority. Please be assured that we are taking each potential threat as real and responding accordingly. This incident will only serve to make our emergency response protocols more effective as we debrief and collaborate with our emergency response colleagues. Please let us know if you have questions or concerns that we can address and school adjustment counselors are ready to assist you and your children. We encourage students to speak with a school adjustment counselor or another trusted adult if they need any help processing this incident today.
For students and others experiencing anxiety due to recent incidents the following strategies can help:
Listen and Hold Space
Please pay attention to how children respond to news about what is happening in the world around them. When something bad happens, it’s of immediate importance to young people to share their feelings or thoughts, so it will occupy their minds whether you discuss it or not. Hold space for conversations and do not dismiss their questions, concerns or comments.
Provide a Sense of Safety
Young people need to know they are safe, so be intentional about fostering feelings of safety when they are in your care. Review safety procedures at home and at school and identify adults who children can go to if they feel threatened or unsafe.
As misinformation typically spreads rapidly following a crisis, adults should help young people vet information and have a critical eye for breaking news. Look for trustworthy sources and remain skeptical. Steer young people toward facts and big ideas; avoid speculation.
It’s also vital to monitor screen time. Limiting the consumption of media content is important to maintaining children’s sense of well-being. Carefully select what to watch together with children so they can discuss and share their feelings about what is happening.
Model Empathy
How we experience and respond to events varies, so be sensitive to people around you, especially young people. Children pick up on your emotions, and your reactions to events can affect them. Show kindness and empathy for feelings that might come up.
Recognize that children may not only fear for themselves, so consider how events might make them worry.
Be aware of young people who are managing trauma or who have experienced violence. Monitor reactions and recognize that trauma can manifest in various behaviors, including anger and disengagement. Commit to destigmatizing mental health issues. For example, separate conversations about violence from issues of mental health.
Brainstorm Action Items
Help young people translate feelings into opportunities to respond with productive action.
Embrace Self-Care and Seek Community-Care
We must always care for ourselves and our children’s emotional and mental health needs. Check in with your own feelings and give yourself grace for whatever comes up. Community-care is just as critical as self-care. Lean into your community to receive support and to offer support.
From: (Handle With Care:supporting Young People in Crisis from the SPLC Learning For Justice)
We are so appreciative of the rapid and effective response of our community partner agencies in law enforcement and emergency response. Their partnership ensures everyones’ safety. We are also thankful to our entire school community for their support and care of our young people.
Sincerely,
Dr. Barbara Malkas
Superintendent of Schools