Dear Hopewell Parents and Families,
There are two concerning issues that have been posted on social media since yesterday afternoon (10/28/22) and we want to make you aware of these and the actions that we are taking.
The first is that after school yesterday (10/28/22), a few students brought to our attention a social media post threatening two of our schools---Carter Woodson Middle School and Hopewell High School. We immediately reached out to the Hopewell Police Department and they actively began investigating the post. At this time, there is no further specificity or established validity regarding the post, but while the investigation is continuing, HCPD and the Sheriff’s Office have assured us that they will have additional officers at the schools on Monday.
It is a sad time that these kinds of threats in social media have become more commonplace and most of the time, they are a hoax. Nonetheless, we will continue to take this and any other such posts seriously as we investigate and protect the safety of our students and staff. We care deeply about our children and employees and we will stand strong together as we commit to providing what they need to feel comfortable and safe at their schools and workplaces.
The second issue is that this morning (10/29/22) we have become aware of a post circulating that alleges that a student brought a gun to one of our schools and shot it and that it happened twice this week. To our knowledge this is absolutely false. We have significant resources dedicated to screening students every morning at our secondary schools and, if there were such an incident, we would notify parents right away and not treat it lightly. If someone has knowledge of something we need to investigate, please don’t hesitate to contact the school principal or Deputy Superintendent Jay McClain at [email protected].
We understand and share the fear and anxiety these situations create. Most of my leadership team members are parents or caregivers. We routinely remind each other of our work “Golden Rule”—loving, caring and supporting our students and colleagues as if they were our very own children and family members. We promise to do our very best, both to get to the bottom of any such issues as these, as well as to protect the learning and work environments of everyone entrusted to us each and every day.
As always, we are better together, especially in these difficult times. Thank you for your partnership, cooperation and trust. We will continue to keep you updated.
Sincerely,
Hopewell City Public Schools Administration