Melrose Students To Walk Out Wednesday

MELROSE, MA — Students from Melrose High and Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School will walk out this Wednesday as part of a nationwide movement to protest gun laws and remember the victims of the Parkland shooting.

At 10 a.m., students will walk outside for 17 minutes to honor the 17 lives lost at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14. Staff will be inside the school for students who do not choose to participate.

Though a release from Melrose Public Schools and statement by Superintendent Cindy Taymore never mention the words "gun" or "shooting," the nationwide walkout has been strongly linked to the #NeverAgain movement spearheaded by survivors of last month's shooting.

The release says that in Melrose, teachers will hold community circles and discuss how to foster kindness and inclusivity in their daily lives. The activity is designed to help "develop empathy, along with social and self-awareness," a release said.

"We respect the rights of our students and faculty who wish to partake in this peaceful movement along with their counterparts across the country," Taymore said. "Our job at the Melrose Public Schools is to foster learning and development, and that occurs both inside and outside the classroom."

The National School Walkout is being organized by Women’s March Youth EMPOWER.

Read the full release here.

Photo by William Bornhoft/Patch.com