As a follow up to the robo-call I made earlier today, I am writing to you to reiterate that we are aware of the threat made to Dudley and Charlton Middle Schools late last evening. We are also aware of recent SnapChat and TikTok trends encouraging school violence on Friday, December 17th. The posts appear to be part of a national TikTok trend and we have heard from other schools that the same posts are circulating throughout their community. While we do not believe the threat to be credible, we are closely monitoring the situation and taking it seriously. I want to stress that a threat was NOT made to St. Joseph School.
However, I have been in communication with the Chief of Police and he is well aware of the situation. He has assured me that there is absolutely no connection to Webster and there is no credible evidence of a school threat in neighboring towns. It is believed the threats originated out of North Carolina. Yet we are vigilant. Chief Shaw will be sending out patrol cars to be a presence at drop off and dismissal times at our school and the other schools in town, as well as patrol checks throughout the day. We are grateful for their partnership and protection.
This situation serves as a good example of why it is important to avoid sharing posts online that refer to school safety threats. Even if they are not credible threats, they can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety for our students, families, and staff. We ask our families to monitor their children’s social media activity and speak with them about proper behavior online.
If you or your child become aware of any potential threats posted to social media or anywhere else, please notify the school at 508-943-0378.
As always, thank you for your partnership as we work to ensure a safe, secure, and positive learning environment for our students.
Yours in Christ,
Beth Boudreau, Principal
