Staff and students at Okotoks Junior High School were reassured their school was a safe and caring community after it was closed due to a threat overheard by a student.
“We had a staff and student assembly on Friday in which we talked to students about what happened,” said OJHS principal Leah Kingston on Monday. “We talked to the kids about the power of their words. That if you say something stupid, look what can actually happen.
“We take all reports very seriously, and my job is to keep the school, the students and the staff safe. I am going to react. Even if it is considered small.”
The Grade 7-9 school was shut down on March 9 after a student overheard a conversation the previous day in which another student made a violent threat to take place in the school.
The student, who overheard the conversation near the end of the school day, reported what had been heard to Kingston.
After discussions between Foothills School Division, OJHS administrators and Okotoks RCMP it was decided later the evening of March 8 to close the school the following day. Kingston said parents were informed the day of the conversation at about 8 p.m. the school would be closed the next day. After an extensive investigation on March 9, OJHS opened its doors on the next day. Kingston said approximately 75 per cent of the 675 students were in attendance on Friday.
Counsellors were at the school to support students and staff.
“We told the students that it is okay to be anxious – we had counsellers here to talk to them about it,” Kingston said.
She would not comment on what the threat was and what the repercussions to the students partaking in the threatening conversation will be.
“Rest assured that our mandate to take action against those involved will be taken at the school level,” she said.
Kingston complimented the Okotoks RCMP in their thoroughness in bringing the incident to a safe closure. RCMP Cpl. Curtis Peters said at no time were students, staff or the public at risk.
“The safety of the students and the children is at the utmost concern. That is why the precaution was taken of closing this particular school,” Peters said during a press conference Thursday.
A canine-unit was used at around 9 a.m. March 9 at the junior high school, not for a bomb threat as might be presumed, but to ensure there were no people or potential threats in the school.
RCMP has identified and interviewed the students involved and determined that while the conversations did take place, there was no plan or intent to carry out the threats discussed. For these reasons, no criminal charges will be laid in this case. The identities of the young persons involved will not be released.
Jennifer Nelson, who has two children at OJHS, was pleased with how the situation was handled by the division and RCMP.
“When you live in a small town, somebody says something, somebody says something else and it gets twisted and it gets blown up and rumours are flying around,” Nelson said. “I think the RCMP did a very good job of containing a situation, keeping the kids safe, investigating, resolving it and communicating with the town.”
She said the division provided information in a timely basis in regards to the situation.
“We were kept up to date with what we needed to know – not necessarily what we wanted to know but what we needed to know,” Nelson said.
She added there is one unsung hero in the story – the student who came forward to tell the principal what was overheard.
“If this was a real threat, not just big talk, this student is a hero,” Nelson said. “It turns out through the investigation there wasn’t a real threat and everything is resolved.”
Kingston agreed the student acted responsibly in coming forward with the information.
“One of the things we have been saying at OJ is ‘If you see something, say something,’” Kingston said. “That young individual who reported it did the absolute right thing.”
