I am writing to follow up on our earlier communication regarding an incident at Newton North High School this morning.  As I reported earlier, at approximately 10:40 AM a threatening phone call was received in the main office.

The building was then placed in “Shelter in Place.” While in Shelter in Place, the exterior doors to the building are locked and students remain in their classrooms with their teachers. We are continuing to coordinate our response with the Newton Fire and Police department, as well as the State Police department.

The Fire Department has already searched the building using thermal imaging technology, and the State Police is currently completing a second search of the building using bomb-sniffing dogs.  While these precautions are underway, our students and staff remain in Shelter-in-Place.  There is no immediate danger to our students, and we are taking every precaution to ensure that there is no risk before returning to our school routines. We will update the Newton North community as soon as we have additional information.

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I am pleased to report that the State Police has concluded their search of the entire building and found nothing out of the ordinary.  As a result, the Shelter-in-Place has concluded and we have returned to our normal school routines.  This afternoon’s schedule will be adjusted and students will be in lunches and class until our regular Tuesday dismissal time (2:35.) I would like to thank the Newton Police and Fire departments and the State Police for their support. I am also thankful to the staff and students for their patience and understanding.   I am sorry to report that schools across Eastern Massachusetts received similar threats today.  As always, we take safety and security seriously, and work closely with public safety officials and continue to be vigilant. Thank you very much for your understanding and support,

Sincerely,

Mark Aronson

Interim Principal

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Good Afternoon,

I am writing to you regarding today’s events. Again, I would like to acknowledge all of the fine work done today by the Newton Police Department, Newton Fire Department, The Mass State Police and our Newton North Staff. As you know we received a threat to our building that required us to “Shelter in Place” while the authorities did their jobs to ensure the safety of the building. I realize that these events create a multitude of feelings for all of us and raise questions as to the best response. Rest assured that we work closely with all of the above agencies and the superintendent’s office to make a well informed decision based on the facts at hand. Please know that we are consistently reflecting on our safety practices and appreciate your continued support as we work to maintain a safe, supportive learning environment for our students. Tomorrow we look forward to having a typical school routine. Counselors are always available to any student who may need some support regarding today’s events. If you are concerned about your child please feel free to contact their housemaster or counselor.

Have a nice evening, Mark

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Other schools receiving threats include Arlington High School, Groton Middle School, and the Florence Roche School. Fitzgerald Elementary School in Waltham was also evacuated Tuesday morning after a male called in a threat, police confirmed. A threat was phoned-in to Swampscott High School around 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, prompting the evacuation of students and dismissal from classes for the rest of the day, authorities confirm. The incident is still under investigation.

Police in Tewksbury say they’re investigating at Tewksbury High School. Newton police said firefighters are currently at Newton North High School investigating, but they do not believe the school was evacuated.

The Superintendents office of Ayer-Shirley Regional say the high school received a threat and that students were moved to a local elementary school. From NECN.com

Do you think this has anything to do with end of term tests?

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