Dear MMS Community,
This
morning, while walking to school one of our students was approached by
an adult who demanded money and the student’s cell phone. This took
place approximately ¼ mile away from school, and there was no weapon
involved. The student ran away and went directly to MMS, where he
immediately told the office staff about the incident. The police were
called in, and with the permission of the student’s family, the student
provided a statement. Soon thereafter the Maplewood Police Department
apprehended the man.
We
are very grateful to the student for quickly reporting what had
happened, to the family for supporting us in dealing with the incident,
and to the Maplewood Police Department for their swift response and
action.
Over
the weekend, we encourage you to find time to talk to your children
about how to stay safe, especially if they walk to school. Safe travel
practices include:
- Walking with a friend whenever possible;
- Being on time for school so that crossing guards and other police officers are present and monitoring safety; and
- Immediately informing school administrators and/or law enforcement personnel should anything suspicious or threatening occur.
Our
primary concern continues to be the health, safety and well-being of
our entire school community. We therefore have plans in place to have
additional school social workers on-site at MMS on Monday, and available
as needed in the coming days. If your child shows signs of stress in
reaction to this incident, please notify his or her guidance counselor,
the school social worker, or a member of the administrative team so that
we can provide additional support.
Thank you for your partnership in keeping our schools and our community safe.
South Orange Maplewood School District
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