The Parkland Effect on Our Students and Community

Written by Janet Bear: How are Mamaroneck High School students reacting to the recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida? This was the topic of the Larchmont/Mamaroneck Local Summit breakfast forum on March 20th.

The audience heard from a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, via a letter written to local resident Annalea Ricci, her Great Aunt. Describing the Feb. 14th shooting, the student wrote vividly of her fear, anxiety and disbelief that this was “happening to us”, and the tragic loss of a best friend. The return to her school was filled with a range of emotions. The media spotlight can be unbearable but she “realizes how much my country cares about us. I believe those 17 people died to make this country a better place.”

Quinn Fluet, a senior at MHS and one of the local organizers of the March 14th student walk out, stated the goal was to encourage any student to participate, regardless of their political view on guns. The point was that all students should feel safe at school. Eddie Kam, an MHS sophomore, stated that he was inspired to participate because the event was organized by students (not adults) and students want change! Amanda Robinson, MHS freshman, has a cousin who is a student at the Parkland HS. Thankfully her cousin wasn’t injured in the shooting, but Amanda’s heart “skips a beat” when there’s a fire drill or announcement. “It’s been pretty scary.”

Clinical Director of the Larchmont Mamaroneck Community Counseling Center, Dr. Alan Dienstag, spoke about the emotional response in students and adults to tragedies. Nationwide depression and suicide are on the rise in our teenagers. He encouraged all to be active and not withdraw from challenges or see yourself as helpless. A healthy response to a feeling of powerlessness is an increase in activism, which our students are demonstrating.

Dr. Nora Mazzone, Assistant Superintendent for Support Services, described many of the district services, working to make students feel safe. “We need to know each other well.” The staff works to insure that someone is mindful of each student. They are trained in crisis prevention. There are programmatic and structural supports in place to identify and help those students in need.

Carol Wolf, Associate Development Director of Sandy Hook Promise (a national gun violence prevention organization) spoke of their work with school districts (students and teachers) to educate participants to “Know the Signs” of people who are at-risk of hurting themselves or others. Early intervention and prevention is the key, and she commended Mamaroneck on the support systems that the district has in place.

Why did this shooting trigger a local response? Quinn responded that the shooting was directed at high school students and there is an air of activism in the current political environment. The school supported the walk out. Eddie explained that Hommocks Middle School students participated with their own walk out, allowing students to walk around the outside of the school for 17 mins.

Quinn stated, “Mamaroneck is doing a good job at being there for students. I feel safe at our school.”

This breakfast forum was hosted by the Larchmont/Mamaroneck Local Summit, an informal community council that seeks to make life better for all in the tri-municipal area. Its monthly meetings are held at the Nautilus Diner in Mamaroneck at 7:45 a.m., on the third Tuesday of the month. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, April 17 when the Summit will host the superintendents of the Rye Neck and Mamaroneck School Districts.