Dear Parents and Guardians:
It has come to our attention that a recent trend on TikTok wherein posts/videos discussing school shootings or a potential “school shooting day” have been circulating among students in our area and around the country.
Please know that we have referred this information to the Washington County Sheriff as well as to the NYS Police. Both have noticed the uptick in these types of postings following the Oxford High School tragedy.
At this time, law enforcement officials have indicated that there are no specific threats to any local school, including the Fort Ann Central School.
We will continue to work with both agencies on any next steps that they advise us to take.
We are sharing this as a reminder to please speak with your children about the critical importance of sharing any information that they might have about potential threats to our students, staff, or schools. This includes reporting troubling behaviors being displayed by friends or schoolmates or sharing observations that they make of things that they see in school that “just aren’t right.” This is a matter that we take extremely seriously, and something that we wish to keep an open discussion about. It is our top priority to encourage clear lines of communication between home and school, which in turn, keeps our students, staff, and faculty safe.
We understand that these can be difficult conversations to have, and for many students, navigating mental health and peer relations can seem like a daunting task. However, we are always here to listen and to help. Our student counseling office has an open-door policy, and we strongly encourage our students to meet with us to assist them with anything they may be going through. Please feel free to visit our school counseling page on the district website to learn more about our talented team of professionals who are here to help.
Should you receive any information about this that you believe requires immediate action, please call 911 to report it. If you have information that you believe we should be aware of, please contact your child’s building principal or me as soon as possible. In the meantime, we will continue to keep you updated with any information that we receive.
Thanks very much,
Kevin Froats