Watertown Public School officials and the Watertown Police appear at a meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 30 at 6 p.m. for the Watertown Middle School Community following the discovery of a list of students created by a WMS student. School officials said they have assessed the situation and determined there was no credible threat, but some parents remain concerned for the safety of their children and have questions about how the school handled the situation.
The list was found last week, and the school contacted parents of students who were on the document. Watertown Middle School implemented the district’s safety protocols, and has been working with the student and the student’s family, who worked with the school and police “to ensure their well-being and the safety of our community,” read a letter sent out by Watertown Middle School Principal Jennifer Chen Fein.
The school counselors are available for students feeling “anxious or overwhelmed,” the letter said, and said the WMS staff is “dedicated to maintaining a secure and nurturing learning environment.”
The letter adds: “Proactive communication is one really important tool we use as a school community to ensure everyone’s safety.”
At Tuesday’s meeting representatives from Watertown Middle School, district administration, and the Watertown Police will answer questions people have while protecting student confidentiality, the WMS meeting announcement said.
See the letter and the meeting announcement below:
Letter to WMS Families, Jan. 25, 2024
Dear Watertown Middle School Families,
As always, I want to keep you informed when situations occur at WMS.
It came to our attention that a student made a list of people they were frustrated or annoyed with. While the intention of the student was not to cause harm, we responded by implementing our safety protocols thoroughly. We assessed whether there was a credible threat, including sharing this information with the Superintendent and the Watertown Police Department through our School Resource Officer. We have been working with the student and their family, who have been cooperative, to ensure their well-being and the safety of our community.
Earlier this afternoon, WMS administrators made phone calls to every caregiver of a student whose name was on the list to inform them. If you did not receive a phone call, there was no connection between your child and this list. At this time, we are informing you out of an abundance of care for our community.
Our counseling team is available to provide support and guidance to any student who may feel anxious or overwhelmed. Please be assured that we are dedicated to maintaining a secure and nurturing learning environment. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.
Caregivers, please speak with your children about the importance of reporting anything suspicious or concerning to an adult. Proactive communication is one really important tool we use as a school community to ensure everyone’s safety.
Thank you for your ongoing support and understanding.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Chen Fein
Principal
Watertown Middle School
WMS Community Forum – 6:00pm in the WMS Auditorium
Safety is of the utmost importance to us at Watertown Middle School, and I know for many in our community, that sense of safety was disrupted this past week. Thank you to any caregivers whom have been in contact with us in the past few days to understand our safety protocols as they relate to the school safety situation I shared about last week. Please know that our school is still working on healing with our community, and that we do not yet have all the next steps planned for a productive re-entry.
We will be holding a meeting open to all WMS caregivers and educators in our community on Tuesday, January 30 at 6:00pm. This meeting will include school and district administration as well as the Watertown Police Department. We will answer whatever questions you have, as far as we can, as protecting student confidentiality limits the amount of information we can provide.