Watkins Mill High School principal Vilma Najera sent a letter to the school community detailing a serious incident that occurred at the school on Thursday afternoon.
Per the letter, security and administration responded to a fight in a school hallway at 1:45pm and noticed two adults who were trespassing. They were escorted off campus and police was called immediately. As of now, it is unclear what their involvement in the fight was, but we have reached out to police for additional information.
School administration will be investigating the circumstances that allowed unknown individuals to enter our school without permission. The full letter can be seen below:
“Dear Watkins Mill High School Families,
I am writing to make you aware of a serious incident at our school, Watkins Mill High School, on May 9, 2024, and how it was addressed. A fight occurred at 1:45 p.m. in the hallways. Security and Administration responded immediately. Upon arrival, we noticed that two adults were trespassing. They were escorted off campus, and the police were called immediately. We will be investigating the circumstances that allowed unknown individuals to enter our school without permission, we will be reminding our students and staff that the doors are locked to ensure safety for all and that they are not to open the doors for anyone, for any reason. All visitors are to come through our front office.
Fighting is not an acceptable way to resolve disagreements and is prohibited by the MCPS Student Code of Conduct. Therefore, I am also asking for your support at home to reiterate our message of respect for one another even when we disagree. Some of the ways you can support your student at home are:
• Talk to your child about seeking the support of a school counselor or administrator if they are struggling with interactions with their peers, receiving hurtful messages, or experiencing any kind of bullying.
• Encourage your child to say something to an adult if they see or hear something. When we are able to help students work through their differences early on, it avoids prolonged conflict and social-emotional turmoil.
• Limit and monitor social media time. Students are creating group chats and using outlets such as Instagram and Snapchat to send hurtful messages about one another:
• Encourage your child not to talk disparagingly about any other individual.
Following our investigation, any students found to be in violation of our MCPS Student Code of Conduct will receive discipline in alignment with that guidance.
We want all students to feel welcome and safe at Watkins Mill High School and it will take all of us coming together to make this happen. I appreciate your continued support as we work to provide a peaceful and welcoming learning environment for all of our students.
Should you have any questions, you can contact me at [email protected]
Sincerely,
Vilma C. Najera,Principal”