Note from SHS Principal Kenneth Bonamo Re: Walk Out on March 14

(Here is a note to parents from SHS Principal Kenneth Bonamo) As you are likely aware, many of our students are planning to participate in a walkout on Wednesday, March 14th, in response to the tragedy in Parkland, Florida, last month. While we support students in exercising their right to engage in political activism, we must be careful not to support any specific political messages as an institution. We think we have found a way to walk this fine line, and I am writing to share with you our plan for the day.

The national organizers have indicated that the event will begin at 10:00 a.m. I have asked our school government officers to work with students who are leading various activities at that time and apprise us of their plans for the day so that we may plan for the safety and security of our students, which is our primary concern. Therefore, the campus will be closed to visitors and traffic from approximately 9:45 until 10:45 on the morning of March 14th. While we understand that parents and other community members may wish to participate or observe the students' activities on this day, safety concerns necessitate that we keep the campus closed to visitors during this time. If you have an appointment in the school building or in the district office at that time, please call or email your contact person to reschedule it for another time. We will be asking the Scarsdale Police Department to assist us with securing the campus during this timeframe.

Although many members of the faculty wish to at least memorialize the Parkland victims, our first obligation is to provide a regular instructional day on March 14th. As a result, I have asked teachers who are teaching classes during that time to remain in their classrooms and teachers who are not assigned to a class at that time to assist with the overall supervision of the activity and to provide safety and security for the campus. Teachers' presence in classrooms or at the activity should not be interpreted as a sign of support or lack thereof, but rather a fulfillment of their obligations as staff members for the day.

We expect students' activities to be peaceable and in compliance with the code of conduct. We will do our best to allow students to express their opinions, and we remind participants that the code of conduct governs student behavior during the school day. The school is not approving students' plans for the day or any messages that will be shared, nor is it facilitating any awareness campaigns beyond this letter to the community.

Regards,
Kenneth Bonamo
Principal