The following information was sent to families via SchoolMessenger on Thursday, April 25 with the subject "Incident today at WJMS - Important Information". The content has been formatted for the web.
Some of you may have heard about this from your student.
A student found a note on the floor and immediately turned it over to the teacher. The note was very similar in nature to the one that was brought to us last week with a single student's name on it. The teacher then called for administration to come to the classroom. Since we knew the note was not there before class, I along with the teacher worked together to gather information from the class anonymously via email which helped us determine which students to investigate further.
Through the interview process, a student did admit to writing the note and explained the intent behind the note. Administration has contacted the family of the student and the family of the student named on the note. As a result of the student’s behavior, disciplinary measures – guided by the district's Code of Conduct – have been taken. At this time, we do not believe this student is responsible for the previous note.
The most important thing to note is that students and staff are safe. As we are navigating these waters, it is important to remember that adolescents can process stress and information in different and sometimes concerning and inappropriate ways. They are learning to understand the impact of the choices and how it makes others feel. In situations like this, community support is important to help students learn how to handle and respond to situations in a respectful and appropriate manner.
A reminder – Any potential safety concerns should be reported, no matter how insignificant you believe it might be. There are many anonymous and safe ways that you can report information, like emailing a staff member or using the Safe2Tell program to report safety concerns anonymously at 877-542-7233, online at https://safe2tell.org/, or the app (iOS | Android). It is with your help that we can keep West Jeff Middle as a safe place to learn. It takes all of us, working together, to ensure the safety of our students and school community.
Kim Halingstad
Principal
Justin Squires
Assistant Principal