Middlebrook Outlines Conditions for Students to Participate in National School Walkout

Wilton High School students have organized their own participation in the National School Walkout on March 14, in a nation-wide, student led effort to remember the 17 people killed in the Parkland, FL school shooting, and to send a message to Congress for stronger gun laws. Now comes word that Middlebrook Middle School students who want to participate in the walkout will be allowed to do so too–under certain conditions.

In her weekly “Tuesday is News Day” email to parents and guardians, Middlebrook principal Lauren Feltz wrote a letter explaining that the school has decided to allow students to take part in the walkout as well as to create “ways to remember the 17 students and staff members who lost their lives that day.”

She explained that the school is allowing the walkout participation after a group of students asked for permission to participate.

“Some student leaders also wish to make a more pointed statement of solidarity as well. They have sought permission to participate in the national student walkout taking place on March 14, one month after the Parkland shootings. They understand that walking out is a personal statement. They know that some of their peers would disagree with this decision. They are committed to ensuring that Middlebrook demonstrates respect for students’ personal beliefs whether they agree or not,” Feltz wrote.

In order for Middlebrook students to participate in the walkout, parents will need to sign a permission form. In addition, students will have to submit a written statement explaining why they want to participate. The answers will be collected and made available to the public, without names of students attached.

“No student will participate unless [parent] permission is granted. Those students who do walk out will be required to submit a brief statement of why they are walking out (minimum two sentences). These statements will be collected and made public as a list. No student names will be included,” Feltz wrote.

Administrators will schedule a “flex-block” during the Middlebrook walkout. According to Feltz’s letter, students who opt to not participate in the walkout will stay in their team areas and use the time to read, study or do homework. Students who choose to participate in the lockout will be accompanied by teachers and police also will be present as a safety precaution.

She did not specify what students participating in the walkout might do during the 17 minutes, or where they will be located on the campus.

Feltz said that student leaders have also thought of ways to remember the 17 students and teachers who were killed with a week of daily actions. She noted that the actions are intended to be “purely apolitical.”

“They just want to express their sadness and support for that hurting community. This is a week about kindness, inclusion and hope. You will receive a list of the daily acknowledgment in advance. We invite the whole Middlebrook community to join us in this commemoration.”

Feltz put the topic in the context of being a teaching opportunity, and that given how Middlebrook students are taught to apply what they learn in the classroom–”…to think for themselves, and to seek opportunities to be agents for positive change in the world,” it is not surprising that students would want to participate in some sort of action.

She also encouraged parents to engage in conversation with their children around the event, and view it as “an opportunity for our students to consider the privileges and responsibilities that they have as citizens in a democracy.”

Second Communication to Parents

On Wednesday, Feltz sent a second message with clarifications, after she received questions and feedback from some parents.

First off, she reinforced that parents or other community members would not be welcome to participate in the Middlebrook walkout.

She also reinforced that she had not yet communicated anything to students about the walkout or next week’s planned events. Up to now, the only communication to students was an announcement she made to students encouraging anyone who felt anxious about school safety to reach out to an adult.

She outlined how, going forward, messages would be communicated to the student body, and explained that while the words “school shooting” would be used, parents could opt out their children from discussions at school.

Feltz also detailed the tentative schedule for the week’s daily events to honor the 17 people lost in Parkland.

• Monday: Grow kindness at Middlebrook! Each teambase class will be asked to use 17 post it notes to leave kind messages on classroom doors or around their pod.
• Tuesday: Make sure that everyone in our school feels welcomed and cared for by reaching out beyond your usual social circle to greet 17 people that you would not normally talk to.
• Wednesday: Read the names of the 17 individuals who died in the Parkland shooting as part of the morning announcements before the pledge and moment of silence.
• Thursday: Practice an attitude of gratitude. List 17 people you are thankful for. Write a note to at least one of them.
• Friday: Wishes do come true! Today Team Change is going to grant 17 Someday Wishes!

The text of Feltz’s complete messages are available below.

Tuesday is News Day Message

Dear Middlebrook Families,

In my own opinion, one of the greatest strengths of the Middlebrook program is the way that students are consistently taught how they can take what they are learning in the classroom and apply it beyond the school to make the world a better place. In developmentally appropriate ways, throughout their three year career at Middlebrook, our students learn to be engaged, compassionate citizens. We teach them to tune into their world, to watch closely, to think for themselves, and to seek opportunities to be agents for positive change in the world. We must navigate carefully to ensure that we are helping students foster their own personal point of view and value system. We are careful not to espouse any political viewpoint but to pose questions that help students become independent thinkers equipped to evaluate the information they are using to develop their ideas. We overtly teach students to be aware of the bias of their news sources and also to consider their own bias when studying a topic. Given what a high value we place on helping to raise active, thoughtful, engaged citizens, it is no surprise that Middlebrook students have strong feelings about school safety in the wake of recent events.

A group of student leaders have come forward with requests in the wake of the shooting in Parkland, Florida. Their requests fall into two distinct categories. They would like to plan a week of daily ways to remember the 17 students and staff members who lost their lives that day. (One example is a request for members of the Middlebrook community to make a point of greeting 17 people that they would not normally talk to.) The intent of these actions is purely apolitical. They just want to express their sadness and support for that hurting community. This is a week about kindness, inclusion and hope. You will receive a list of the daily acknowledgment in advance. We invite the whole Middlebrook community to join us in this commemoration.

Some student leaders also wish to make a more pointed statement of solidarity as well. They have sought permission to participate in the national student walkout taking place on March 14, one month after the Parkland shootings. They understand that walking out is a personal statement. They know that some of their peers would disagree with this decision. They are committed to ensuring that Middlebrook demonstrates respect for students’ personal beliefs whether they agree or not.

On the morning of March 14th, we will have a school-wide flex block. Students will stay on team. They may read or use the time as a tutorial. As they will be with their own team teachers, they may have some small group instruction during that time. Students who have permission from a parent will be allowed to participate in a walk out. An appropriate number of staff members will accompany those students during that time. We will also have a police presence. The walkout will end after 17 minutes, students will return to their team, and instruction will resume.

I encourage each of you to have a conversation with your child about this event. You can find resources for parents by following this link and clicking Mental Health Resources. Regardless of which side of the political issue each person is on, this is an opportunity for our students to consider the privileges and responsibilities that they have as citizens in a democracy. If you and your child decide that they will participate in the walk out on March 14th, please follow this link and complete the attached Google form granting permission. No student will participate unless permission is granted. Those students who do walk out will be required to submit a brief statement of why they are walking out (minimum 2 sentences.) These statements will be collected and made public as a list. No student names will be included.

As always, I welcome your feedback and questions.

Respectfully,

Lauren

Wednesday Follow-Up Clarification Email

I want to thank those parents who have reached out with such excellent and thoughtful questions and suggestions after reading News Day this week. Based on those emails, I have a few additional points of clarification that I think the broader parent group will find helpful.

Please note: We are not inviting parents to join the Middlebrook students on campus during their walk-out on the 14th. Student safety always comes first. This includes limiting the gathering to students and staff.

The letter sent to you Tuesday was the first communication about this plan. I have not shared that letter with the full student body. This was by design. I do not want you to find out about these conversations after the fact. Other than my meetings with the student leaders who generated these ideas, only one announcement has been made regarding recent school violence. The main purpose of that announcement was to identify anxious students who would benefit from additional adult support. I have included the text of that announcement made on March 1st here for your information.

Good morning Middlebrook Family. This is Miss Feltz. Yesterday I had several good conversations with both students and teachers and staff at Middlebrook. We were talking about school safety. I know that this is a topic that has been in the minds of many people within Wilton and around the country recently. When we hear upsetting events occurring in other schools, it is natural that we start having strong feelings and wondering about aspects of life here at Middlebrook. Some of you might feel called to action like you want to be a change agent. Others may be having strong feelings that make you feel less comfortable at school. If you fall into either of these groups, I would like you to reach out. You can either share your thoughts with a staff member that you trust or reach out to me directly by sending me an email. I will do my best to connect you with the person or group who best matches you. If you are hearing this announcement and feeling like it does not apply to you, that is okay too. There is no right or wrong way to feel. Middlebrook is a place where we should all trust that whether we agree on a topic or not, we will treat each other with kindness and respect.

Going forward, communications to all students regarding the week of March 12th will be using scripts that I review or collaborate on in advance. There will be one brief meeting on team (less than 10 minutes). With the support of the team leader, student leaders will address students using a script. There will be references to school shootings in this meeting. Students who may struggle with this content may be opted out of this meeting by their parents or their team. Those students will be given a pass to an alternate location during that time. If you prefer for your child to be opted out, please send an email to that effect to both me and your child’s team leader.

Further communications to the student body will be about the acts of intentional kindness around the week of 17 theme. While student organizers want to honor the 17 students and staff members who were killed, their action plan is focused on targeting social isolation or lack of connection by ensuring that everyone at Middlebrook feels valued and connected.

While not yet finalized the current draft of the topics for the week of activities are:

• Monday: Grow kindness at Middlebrook! Each teambase class will be asked to use 17 post it notes to leave kind messages on classroom doors or around their pod.
• Tuesday: Make sure that everyone in our school feels welcomed and cared for by reaching out beyond your usual social circle to greet 17 people that you would not normally talk to.
• Wednesday: Read the names of the 17 individuals who died in the Parkland shooting as part of the morning announcements before the pledge and moment of silence.
• Thursday: Practice an attitude of gratitude. List 17 people you are thankful for. Write a note to at least one of them.
• Friday: Wishes do come true! Today Team Change is going to grant 17 Someday Wishes!