Staples High School Principal James D’Amico tonight sent the following email to Staples parents about today’s events at the school that led to an early dismissal and a student detained for making threats against a teacher and talking of a mass shooting:
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Staples Principal James D’Amico (r) at today’s Westport Police Headquarters news conference with Superintendent of Schools Colleen Palmer. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
“Dear Staples Families,
“I write to you this evening at the close of a very trying day at Staples High School.
“We have been working with the Westport Police Department throughout the day, including a complete sweep of the school this afternoon through this evening.
“School will open on time tomorrow, Wednesday, February 28th. We will meet with our staff before the opening of school to make sure that they have accurate information, and to provide them with strategies to support our students.
“Throughout the day our counseling staff will be available to support any students or staff who feel the need to talk through this upsetting situation. This support can be individually or with small groups, depending on what the needs of the community dictate.
“As Chief Koskinas pointed out in this afternoon’s press conference, we were able to uncover the information leading to today’s events because of the courage of our students to come forward and report their concerns to the school administration. I hope that every member of our school community feels that they can also demonstrate the citizenship and bravery of these students.
“I want to commend all of our staff and students who responded perfectly to this afternoon’s unexpected call to shelter in place protocol. Everyone followed the directions as prescribed in our plan, and everyone contributed to an orderly dismissal under unusual and stressful circumstances.
“Our police department was extraordinarily supportive, and helped our school’s administration, staff, and students navigate this situation. I also want to give recognition to our custodial staff, as they went above and beyond the call of duty today, assisting both the administration and police in completing our search of the building.
“When students come in tomorrow, they should proceed to their first period class as normal. We will have extended announcements during communication time to outline the resources and support we will provide during the day.
“Students who have left bags in the building will find that they were searched and are on tables in the cafeteria. Beginning tomorrow, bags and personal items will not be permitted to be left in school overnight, and any bags that are left will be confiscated and secured. Bags that are not claimed in a timely manner will be disposed of.
“In closing, if you watched this afternoon’s press conference, you may have observed me texting behind the podium. It was my own teenage son, who had come home from school and seen the crawl on the TV with headlines about Staples High School.
“The phone was ringing in my pocket for what seemed like an eternity, knowing that he was calling just to see if I was OK. The phone was burning a hole in my pocket thinking about what he must be feeling in that moment, so I finally decided to be rude and just text him that everyone was fine, and that I would call soon.
“It made me think about how so many of you as parents must have felt, but also about how our first responders, district and school administrators, teachers, secretaries, paraprofessionals, custodians, cafeteria staff, and local government leaders put everything aside in that moment to care for your sons and daughters.
“In a moment when we were all tested, it became clear that every adult in the Staples community thinks of our students as more than students — they are all of our kids.
“We have much to be proud of as a school, and I am most proud of the way that everyone came together today to make sure that our school was safe. Give all of our kids a hug tonight, and I am looking forward to greeting them at the door tomorrow morning.
“Sincerely,
“James D’Amico
“Principal”
