St. Michael Catholic School in Kemptville to re-open today with police presence, external locking doors
Kemptville’s St. Michael Catholic School will reopen today (Wednesday, Oct. 9) after being closed for almost a week due to threats of violence; however, a number of extra measures are being taken to ensure student safety and well-being, including a police presence and extra locks on doors.
“Over the course of the last six days, we have endeavoured to understand the nature of the threats directed against the St. Michael community,” reads a letter to parents from Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario (CDSBEO). “In doing so, we worked with our partners at the Ministry of Education, the Ontario Provincial Police, and Kevin Cameron, a Subject Matter Expert in Threat Assessment and Trauma Response.”
As a result of this extensive and ongoing collaboration, the school will re-open today at a delayed start time of 11 a.m.
The board says that “due to the emotional impact this situation has had on some in the school community, we are implementing additional measures to support the return.”
These measures include:
- Presence of support teams, including mental health counsellors
- Additional staff
- Delayed start to facilitate student arrival and support
- Police presence
- External locking of doors
- Virtual information session for families with Kevin Cameron at 7 p.m.
“We recognize the difficulty the St. Michael community of students, staff, and families has experienced, and we want to ensure that the return to school is positive and supportive for all,” the letter reads. “We understand the difficulty of this journey we have undertaken together, but we have always prioritized the safety and well-being of your children and will continue to do so in the days ahead.”
A similar threat was made last week to Seaway District High School in Iroquois. Police are continuing to investigate both situations. Media relations officer for the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Bill Dickson told Brockvilleist that while police cannot speculate on any connection between these incidents, “that is part of the ongoing investigation.”
“We understand the stress and concern these incidents have caused for students, parents, school staff and everyone in the community,” Dickson continued. “We remain committed to locating the individual or individuals responsible and holding them accountable.”