It's a Wrap
I am happy to report that the case of the social media threat that we received on May 9th has been solved. I can't share much for details, but I can tell you that the threat was intended to be a joke. It was never treated like a joke and the individual guilty of the threat is being held accountable and being charged with terroristic threats. I am also relieved to report that it wasn't one of our Palmer High students.
The take away from this experience is, we have to do a better job of teaching our students that these social media shenanigans are not funny and carry serious consequences. The district attorney that has overseen this case is working to spearhead new state law addressing social media threats on a school, a group of students, or a threat towards an individual student.
Teaching digital citizenship is an effort that should be done from many different sources. It's important to emphasize that there is nothing anonymous online and there is a digital footprint to all that we do online. I encourage you to take opportunities over the summer to do your part to better inform our kids about what being a good digital citizen means. To neglect the opportunity can have consequences that impact their futures. We will do our part when they return in August.
I wish you all a great summer. May the sun shine often, the fish be plentiful, and the time spent with family be fulfilling.
Mr. Reid