The following information was sent to families via SchoolMessenger on Thursday, April 18 with the subject "Follow Up on Safety Incident at WJMS". The content has been formatted for the web.
April 18, 2024
Dear West Jefferson Middle School Staff and Families,
This week, I've had the opportunity to talk to many of you about the incident at our school. As both a mom and educator, I understand and share your strong interest in ensuring our school's safety. Please be assured that we take every measure to maintain a safe learning environment for our school community.
Follow-up to some concerns:
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and Jeffco Public Schools' Department of School Safety & Security continue their investigation; there is no evidence to suggest our building is unsafe. At this time, we have not identified the origin of the note, but we continue to work with them as they continue their investigation.
Deputy Joslin continues to support us and checks in regularly.
Our goal is to ensure transparent and timely communications, especially with potential threats. We are committed to improving these processes with our staff moving forward.
We will continue to follow all safety protocols and work with our law enforcement partners when any situation arises.
Please take some time to remind your student that any potential safety concerns should be reported to you and to the school, no matter how insignificant they believe it might be. Students may also call the Safe2Tell program to report safety concerns anonymously at 877-542-7233, or report online at https://safe2tell.org/. Also, encourage your student to speak with a trusted staff member to share any information about this incident.
Our school is a community where our students come first and it is also a place where our staff and parents will continue to work in partnership for continuous improvement. Thank you for your patience and understanding. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our main office at 303-982-3056.
In partnership,
Kim Halingstad
Principal
Jeff Pierson
Executive Director of School Safety