Dear Parents,

I know you join with our community in prayer for the folks at Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS in Parkland, Florida. At our Chief Administrators Conference last week, administrators from our newest Lasallian school in the district, St. John Paul II, which is only a few miles from Marjory Stoneman, talked of the support they have been giving their friends (and students of Majorie Stoneman) during this tragedy. It is so sad that we have to deal with this reality.

Please know that your son’s safety and security are at the forefront of our minds each day. Whether it be an off-duty Baltimore County police officer patrolling our campus daily, video cameras strategically placed around the campus, a background check system for all visitors, locked doors, faculty training in the event of a crisis, the Baltimore County SWAT team reviewing our crisis plan, and lockdown drills (both shelter in place and evacuation) for the students, we must have procedures in place to protect our community. Additionally, we must always be evaluating our plans and procedures. For example, last month, we added new security curtains at each classroom door. While the above is certainly not a complete list, please know that we have comprehensive plans in place for safety and security. Please never hesitate to call me if you have any concerns, questions, or suggestions. Although we strive to be an open and inviting place, we would be remiss if we did not make every effort to protect our community.

On a separate note, this is an excellent time to remind everyone to make sure we have accurate information for our emergency notification system.

You may have read about the student demonstrations, sponsored by the Women’s March, planned for March 14 to protest gun violence. Clearly, if you want your son to be a part of the movement in D.C., you can certainly write an absentee note and give him permission to miss school (just as a parent does anytime a student misses school). We are discussing with the Student Council what we can do in school on March 14 to be in solidarity with those students protesting gun violence, yet do it in a way that does not interrupt the order of our academic day. Allowing students to have voice and participating in an advocacy movement can be a powerful teaching moment.

On a brighter note, we have many activities on the March calendar (e.g. Senior 100 Nights tonight). I will see you at a number of them. Congratulations to our winter athletes on great seasons and good luck to our spring athletes!

As always, we value our partnership with you and your son. If there is anything we can do to support you or your son, please do not hesitate to let us know.

Sincerely,

 

Charles Stembler

Principal