Dear Woodlawn School District Community:
Last week, we had several reports of threats through social media that came to our attention. First and foremost, we put the safety of your children and school staff as our highest priority. With each report, law enforcement was well-informed and immediate to respond in order to ensure the safety of your children.
Information regarding these incidents has been investigated by law enforcement, and subsequently, these students will face severe consequences. In each case, these investigations lead to isolating the cause of each; where there was no immediate threat to our children and staff members. Due to the heightened awareness, law enforcement presence was provided for the comfort, safety, and mental well-being of our children, staff, and parents.
There is much emphasis on what protocols and procedures the school must follow to protect students and staff. However, there is more that we all can do to ensure safety. While schools take extreme precautions at school, safety begins at home and your collective involvement is essential. A few precautions you can take are;
- If your child reports a threat, make sure they know that they should always notify a school official immediately. Our children and parents can help by making these reports rather than sharing misinformation via social media.
- Check your child’s social media regularly for any concerning conversations or behavior. Whether their intent is harmless or not, the result of their posts and comments cause fear and have severe consequences.
- Make sure any firearms in your home are securely locked and inaccessible to children.
Lastly, it is imperative that our students and your children know there are consequences for posting threats, regardless of the intent. There are no jokes when it comes to the safety of students and staff. Your conversations at home can help to reduce the fears and anxieties that we all share when it comes to providing a safe environment to learn.
Thank you for your cooperation and support as we all work to keep our school safe.
Sincerely,
Kevin Hancock, Woodlawn Superintendent