Swampscott 1st-Graders Wander From Clarke School, Found At Whole Foods

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — Swampscott Superintendent Pamela Angelakis said she was "disappointed and disheartened" — and pledged a review of school safety policies — after two first-graders wandered from Clarke School grounds during recess and were found 15 to 20 minutes later at the Whole Foods on Paradise Road.

Angelakis said she planned to meet with school leadership, staff and School Resource Officer Brian Wilson to review how students are supervised when outside of the building "with an emphasis on ensuring all potential exit points are monitored at all times."

"We are grateful and relieved that the students were found safe after a brief period of time away from the school building," Angelakis said in a statement to Patch. "We are keenly aware of our responsibility to provide a safe learning environment for students at all times."

In a letter to the school community, Angelakis and Clarke Interim Principal Jason Knowles said that when it was discovered the students were missing from recess, the school immediately called Swampscott police and began a search of the area. The letter said a police officer working a detail near Whole Foods located the missing children, who were both unharmed, about 15 to 20 minutes later.

The letter said the administrators spoke with the parents of both children and "expressed our since apology." The children returned to school for the remainder of the school day.

The letter said leadership immediately met with the staff on recess duty that day and planned a mandatory meeting with all staff after school.

"We will do everything in our power to use this as a learning experience moving forward," Angelakis told Patch.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)