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03/20/2018 12:00 AMAt 10 a.m. on March 14, students throughout the country paused to walk in solidarity and in remembrance of the 17 young people who lost their lives in the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on Feb. 14.
Promoted as a “national school walk-out”, students leaders at Westbrook and Old Saybrook High Schools sought permission from school administrators to participate in their own way, working together to develop respectful, time-limited, and voluntary events that were approved as school activities.
At Westbrook High School, Principal Tara Winch said class officers and student council officers were directly involved in planning the commemoration. At 10 a.m., students left the classroom and congregated to hear remarks from their student leaders before leaving the school to walk around the track for 17 minutes, in silence.
“Our students want to come together in support and unity with the 17 victims of the Florida shooting,” said Winch.
Inspired by the hashtag, #What’s Your 17?, Westbrook students were asked to come up with 17 things they can do to make their school community better, such as to smile at 17 people they’ve never smiled at before, or to speak kindly to 17 people they meet. These ideas were part of the classroom reflections that followed the walk.
At Old Saybrook High School, student leaders consulted with Principal Sheila Riffle and the district administration to develop an event plan for March 14.
“Our students want to march to honor the victims in Parkland. They have proposed a thoughtful, structured, and time-limited event to take place at 10 a.m. on March 14...on school grounds. They have worked with Old Saybrook High School staff and the Old Saybrook Police to make this event safe, respectful, and supportive. The Old Saybrook Police will provide security for our students and staff,” wrote Superintendent of Schools Jan Perruccio in a letter to parents and students.
At OSHS, the student-led walk included a moment of silence and song. Following the walk, students returned to class. Students who wished to continue discussion of the issues were given a space to do so, with supervision provided.
The walk was not an event open to the public or the press—it was treated as a school activity and assembly, according to Perruccio.
“They held an assembly. They entered quietly, had a moment of silence, a song from our Chamber Singers and read the names of the 17 victims in Florida. They kept away from political issues and told the students the reasons for the event were to honor their peers from Florida and to show that teenagers can work together to have an impact. They ran the whole thing. Police provided extra security and staff chaperoned,” said Perruccio after the event.
According to Perruccio, 75 to 100 students chose not to participate and were allowed to go to the library, to a few classrooms, and to guidance.
“From my perspective, folks were respectful of each other,” she said.