Pearl River Prepares For Student Walkout Wednesday

PEARL RIVER, NY — For Pearl River students participating in the national 17-minute walkout at 10 a.m. Wednesday to honor the 17 victims of the Valentine's Day school shooting in Parkland, FL, school officials have safety protocols in place.

Campuses will be closed before 10 a.m. and locations will be designated for participating students.

There are several organized marches planned for March 14 across the Hudson Valley. Each student body has different motivations to organize and their own way to proceed. Likewise, all school districts are not alike. Some districts, like New Rochelle, applauded students' desire to be a part of the political process, but decided that as the demonstration is not a sanctioned school event, students who miss a class will have the absence recorded as an unexcused absence, and students who arrive to school or class late will be marked late.

The National School Walkout In A Nutshell

On Wednesday, March 14, students, staff, and supporters will walk out of their schools at precisely 10 a.m. for approximately 17 minutes in honor of the 17 people who were shot and killed at the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida earlier this year. The walkouts also serve as a protest against gun violence.

Who Organized Them?

School walkouts are typically organized locally, with student activist groups, concerned students, concerned parents or active members of the community putting the call out.

The marches were called for on the national level by Women's March Youth EMPOWER, which sought across-the-country marches to "protest Congress' inaction to do more than tweet thoughts and prayers in response to the gun violence plaguing our schools and neighborhoods."

"Students and staff have the right to teach and learn in an environment free from the worry of being gunned down in their classrooms or on their way home from school," the event page said.

What's Happening In Pearl River

Superintendent of Schools Marco Pochintesta wrote a letter to parents:

Dear Parents:
I am writing to you to provide information about the National School Walkout Day on March 14th.
I know that we all share in the sadness over the 17 students and adults, whose lives were taken in the
horrific tragedy that occurred in Parkland, Florida. Schools and school districts across the Nation once
again turn their thoughts to all aspects of the tragedy and on how we might keep our schools safe and
end this cycle of violence. The national conversation has included a renewed discussion of safety
measures and an idea of a voluntary, 17 minute school walkout on March 14th has also emerged.
The Pearl River School District, together with other Rockland County schools, will provide students the
opportunity to express their opinions. Our aim will be to provide a safe and orderly environment for all
students, those who choose to participate, as well as any who choose not to. To this end, we have been
in regular communication with the Orangetown Police Department for the purposes of coordinating
safety details for March 14th, including designated campus locations where participating students may
safely assemble. Please also be aware that campuses will be closed shortly before 10:00 a.m. and
remain closed until the conclusion of the proposed student walkout. This measure is taken for safety
purposes.
While we understand that the sentiments of sadness and frustration with the enduring tragedies of
repeated school shootings are universal, the mature themes associated with this event suggest a
different approach for students at our elementary schools. Because of this understanding, they will not
have the opportunity to participate in the walkout.
It is likely that news of the day’s events will reach elementary age students. If elementary parents need
support on how to communicate with their children on this topic, please contact your building principal.
Mr. Murphy and Ms. Paese, PRHS and PRMS school principals, will provide additional information on
Monday, March 12, 2018.