WESTFIELD – Across the country, students will be participating in walkouts on Wednesday, March 14, to observe the one month anniversary of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, at which 17 students and staff members were killed.
Westfield Public Schools Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski said students in the schools asked about participating, and the administration met with teachers and student club leaders on how to respond.
“We’re making this a learning experience, how students may properly express their First Amendment rights. We didn’t encourage it; we also didn’t discourage it,” Czaporowski said.
The superintendent said every school is doing something different based on the administrations’ meetings with student and staff leaders.
According to a communication to parents from South Middle School Principal Paul Newton on Tuesday, students who wish to participate will walkout at 10:00 AM for 17 minutes to honor the 17 students and staff members killed. Under the supervision of their teachers, students will exit the building with their teachers to the area in the back of the school where recess is held.
“While out of the building students are expected to be polite, well-behaved, and respectful towards the issue and towards the memory of those affected by the February 14th tragedy,” Newton wrote in his letter. After the 17 minutes are over, students will be escorted back to their classrooms by 10:20 to resume the school day.
“I want to emphasize that students are not being forced in any way to participate. We are leaving this decision entirely up to each student to make on his or her own,” Newton wrote. He said students who wish to remain in the building and to stay in classrooms, will be supervised in a “study hall like” setting by teachers from their team.
Newton also said that throughout the day, teachers have the option of “seizing the educational moment” and talking to students about the issue and/or about the importance of the right to assemble or express their views in a peaceful manner.
North Middle School Principal Katherine Bourque sent out an email to families after meeting with student leaders on Monday, “to give them an opportunity to share and give input on how North Middle School can participate in this movement.”
Bourque said North Middle School will have designated areas in the building for students to “walk out” of class at 10 a.m. Students in grade six can participate in the gym, grade seven in the cafeteria, and grade eight in the auditorium. The student leaders suggested making a banner for students to sign and thought educating students on the reasons why this movement is happening was important.
“We recognize that some students may not want to participate and would prefer to stay in class. We want to assure our students and families that we will make certain all students feel safe and respected, no matter what they choose to do. As always, the safety of our students is our top priority,” Bourque wrote.
Bourque also said that North Middle School, “will neither encourage nor discourage student walkouts, nor will we prevent students from participating or discipline them if they do. Regular activities will continue during the walkout.”
At Westfield High School, the Council on Peer Education will be hosting a memorial event to honor the victims of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. This event is being held at 12:30, according to a robocall sent out on Monday by Principal Charles Jendrysik.
The timing of the event is being moved because seniors will be participating in “Credit for Life,” at Westfield State University. “We would like to allow them the opportunity to participate in the memorial if they so choose,” Jendrysik said.
Teachers will not provide instruction from the time the students are called down until they return at approximately 12:53. When an announcement is made students will proceed to the auditorium. If additional space is needed the overflow will go into the cafeteria. Once seated, a one minute biography of each of the 17 victims who tragically lost their lives will be shared.
All other periods will operate normally and teaching, learning, and assessments will take place as usual, according to the robocall. Teachers who wished to participate in the event were asked to make arrangements with their department heads, to ensure that all students were supervised.
Czaporowski said as of Tuesday, no events were being planned at Westfield Technical Academy, where juniors would be participating in “Credit for Life,” and seniors out on co-ops.
“The student voice is important, and also teaching them civic responsibility is important,” Czaporowski said. He also said that counselors will be on hand for students that are struggling with feelings about what happened, as they have been since it occurred. “Tomorrow (Wednesday) might bring up some feelings,” he said.
