Cabin John shelter in place

[Anonymous]

Initial email from school included this:
This letter is to inform you that the Montgomery County Police Department was on campus today at approximately 8:00am to provide assistance to a community member not affiliated with Cabin John Middle School. The incident did not impact overall student safety or disrupt the instructional program.

Just got a second email with this update:
This letter is to provide you with an update from the incident this morning. Two officers with the Montgomery County Police Department were on campus today at approximately 8:00am to provide assistance to a community member not affiliated with Cabin John Middle School. The community member that required assistance left the conversation with police officers against the recommendation of his family members present and the police officers. He was not detained or required to stay by the police, but we decided to enter into a state of shelter until the situation is clearly resolved.

This incident is still not impacting overall student safety or disrupting the instructional program, but represents the heightened state of awareness in case the community member comes back on the Cabin John campus. Cabin John is operating under a normal bell schedule, and we have suspended outdoor activities. All instruction and student activities are continuing as normal.

This doesn't make me feel great, worrying about my kid at school while at work, though it seems there's no real risk... anyone have any inkling what's going on?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Initial email from school included this:
This letter is to inform you that the Montgomery County Police Department was on campus today at approximately 8:00am to provide assistance to a community member not affiliated with Cabin John Middle School. The incident did not impact overall student safety or disrupt the instructional program.

Just got a second email with this update:
This letter is to provide you with an update from the incident this morning. Two officers with the Montgomery County Police Department were on campus today at approximately 8:00am to provide assistance to a community member not affiliated with Cabin John Middle School. The community member that required assistance left the conversation with police officers against the recommendation of his family members present and the police officers. He was not detained or required to stay by the police, but we decided to enter into a state of shelter until the situation is clearly resolved.

This incident is still not impacting overall student safety or disrupting the instructional program, but represents the heightened state of awareness in case the community member comes back on the Cabin John campus. Cabin John is operating under a normal bell schedule, and we have suspended outdoor activities. All instruction and student activities are continuing as normal.

This doesn't make me feel great, worrying about my kid at school while at work, though it seems there's no real risk... anyone have any inkling what's going on?

Why are you worrying if by your own statement there doesn't seem to be any real risk?

[Anonymous]

The way this is phrased is so odd. How is there an incident that requires police involvement with someone who is not affiliated with the school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Initial email from school included this:
This letter is to inform you that the Montgomery County Police Department was on campus today at approximately 8:00am to provide assistance to a community member not affiliated with Cabin John Middle School. The incident did not impact overall student safety or disrupt the instructional program.

Just got a second email with this update:
This letter is to provide you with an update from the incident this morning. Two officers with the Montgomery County Police Department were on campus today at approximately 8:00am to provide assistance to a community member not affiliated with Cabin John Middle School. The community member that required assistance left the conversation with police officers against the recommendation of his family members present and the police officers. He was not detained or required to stay by the police, but we decided to enter into a state of shelter until the situation is clearly resolved.

This incident is still not impacting overall student safety or disrupting the instructional program, but represents the heightened state of awareness in case the community member comes back on the Cabin John campus. Cabin John is operating under a normal bell schedule, and we have suspended outdoor activities. All instruction and student activities are continuing as normal.

This doesn't make me feel great, worrying about my kid at school while at work, though it seems there's no real risk... anyone have any inkling what's going on?

Why are you worrying if by your own statement there doesn't seem to be any real risk?

Well, based on what they said, the risk is very low and I want to believe it's minimal. However, it's still shelter in place, which means there's some uncertainty. I assume it's something like a person who is suffering from a mental health issue not listening to family/police, but that person didn't make threats and is unarmed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The way this is phrased is so odd. How is there an incident that requires police involvement with someone who is not affiliated with the school?

I assume the person was on school grounds or thereabouts...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The way this is phrased is so odd. How is there an incident that requires police involvement with someone who is not affiliated with the school?

Domestic violence call very close.

Person in distress that is hard to figure out close by.

Someone walked or bussed over from the Seven Locks detention center who is having problems with mental health.

Could be a lot of things.

[Anonymous]

Person unknown knocking on school windows trying to gain entry
20’s

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Initial email from school included this:
This letter is to inform you that the Montgomery County Police Department was on campus today at approximately 8:00am to provide assistance to a community member not affiliated with Cabin John Middle School. The incident did not impact overall student safety or disrupt the instructional program.

Just got a second email with this update:
This letter is to provide you with an update from the incident this morning. Two officers with the Montgomery County Police Department were on campus today at approximately 8:00am to provide assistance to a community member not affiliated with Cabin John Middle School. The community member that required assistance left the conversation with police officers against the recommendation of his family members present and the police officers. He was not detained or required to stay by the police, but we decided to enter into a state of shelter until the situation is clearly resolved.

This incident is still not impacting overall student safety or disrupting the instructional program, but represents the heightened state of awareness in case the community member comes back on the Cabin John campus. Cabin John is operating under a normal bell schedule, and we have suspended outdoor activities. All instruction and student activities are continuing as normal.

This doesn't make me feel great, worrying about my kid at school while at work, though it seems there's no real risk... anyone have any inkling what's going on?

Why are you worrying if by your own statement there doesn't seem to be any real risk?

Well, based on what they said, the risk is very low and I want to believe it's minimal. However, it's still shelter in place, which means there's some uncertainty. I assume it's something like a person who is suffering from a mental health issue not listening to family/police, but that person didn't make threats and is unarmed?

There’s always uncertainty which is why Shelter in a place can be used as an abundance of caution. Also, Shelter in Place can be used when there is certainty as a mechanism to prevent problems. For example, kids running outside for PE and potentially heightening a situation, OR kids becoming alarmed by the presence of police in campus.

[Anonymous]

I understand that parents worry but I truly worry for the parents who worry enough to bring it here with this original post OP. Wait till high school....you genuinely need to be able to go on about your day or you will be in constant shock by what you hear on a day to day basis.

signed cabin john and wootton parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand that parents worry but I truly worry for the parents who worry enough to bring it here with this original post OP. Wait till high school....you genuinely need to be able to go on about your day or you will be in constant shock by what you hear on a day to day basis.

signed cabin john and wootton parent

Just because many who work for MCPS have accepted these kinds of things happening in high schools as normal doesn't mean it's right or something we as parents or students SHOULD accept as normal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand that parents worry but I truly worry for the parents who worry enough to bring it here with this original post OP. Wait till high school....you genuinely need to be able to go on about your day or you will be in constant shock by what you hear on a day to day basis.

signed cabin john and wootton parent

Just because many who work for MCPS have accepted these kinds of things happening in high schools as normal doesn't mean it's right or something we as parents or students SHOULD accept as normal.

But this is not an example of increasing violence in our communities. It's not a gun on campus or a shooting nearby. This is a person with mental health needs or perhaps substance abuse issues wandering into the vicinity of a school. This "kind of thing" has been happening forever. You think in the 80s you didn't have random troubled people wandering onto school grounds? Of course there was. The difference is that no one's parents got an email about it and most parents wouldn't have found out about it at all unless their kid interacted with this person.

The police were called. There was no danger to the kids at any point. The school locked down out of an abundance of caution but it likely was not necessary because the police were already there and it was one person who does not appear to have been armed.

This is absolutely normal and a think that is going to happen from time to time in a society unless you can eradicate all mental health problems which you can't.

[Anonymous]

It could be as small as someone trying to pick up a student who shouldn't be on campus being belligerent. It is for the safety of the children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand that parents worry but I truly worry for the parents who worry enough to bring it here with this original post OP. Wait till high school....you genuinely need to be able to go on about your day or you will be in constant shock by what you hear on a day to day basis.

signed cabin john and wootton parent

Just because many who work for MCPS have accepted these kinds of things happening in high schools as normal doesn't mean it's right or something we as parents or students SHOULD accept as normal.

NP. I don't work for MCPS, but PP is right. "These kinds of things" aren't new. What's new is how much schools communicate with parents about them, and that change is a net negative. My schools evacuated or had shelter in places pretty often growing up, my parents heard about it when I told them. It was a better system that let the people who can act (police and staff) act without worrying people who can't do anything (parents).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand that parents worry but I truly worry for the parents who worry enough to bring it here with this original post OP. Wait till high school....you genuinely need to be able to go on about your day or you will be in constant shock by what you hear on a day to day basis.

signed cabin john and wootton parent

Just because many who work for MCPS have accepted these kinds of things happening in high schools as normal doesn't mean it's right or something we as parents or students SHOULD accept as normal.

NP. I don't work for MCPS, but PP is right. "These kinds of things" aren't new. What's new is how much schools communicate with parents about them, and that change is a net negative. My schools evacuated or had shelter in places pretty often growing up, my parents heard about it when I told them. It was a better system that let the people who can act (police and staff) act without worrying people who can't do anything (parents).

In a world where smartphones exist, that world from the past that you dream of is no longer possible or realistic. Information cannot be contained and it travels at lightning speed thanks to text messaging and social media, whether you like it or not. So MCPS has to learn how to communicate in its present reality, not the past.

That attempt to cling to the past is why its comms come out like what was posted above, which just adds more confusion to the situation and not clarity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand that parents worry but I truly worry for the parents who worry enough to bring it here with this original post OP. Wait till high school....you genuinely need to be able to go on about your day or you will be in constant shock by what you hear on a day to day basis.

signed cabin john and wootton parent

Just because many who work for MCPS have accepted these kinds of things happening in high schools as normal doesn't mean it's right or something we as parents or students SHOULD accept as normal.

NP. I don't work for MCPS, but PP is right. "These kinds of things" aren't new. What's new is how much schools communicate with parents about them, and that change is a net negative. My schools evacuated or had shelter in places pretty often growing up, my parents heard about it when I told them. It was a better system that let the people who can act (police and staff) act without worrying people who can't do anything (parents).

In a world where smartphones exist, that world from the past that you dream of is no longer possible or realistic. Information cannot be contained and it travels at lightning speed thanks to text messaging and social media, whether you like it or not. So MCPS has to learn how to communicate in its present reality, not the past.

That attempt to cling to the past is why its comms come out like what was posted above, which just adds more confusion to the situation and not clarity.

It's very possible for you as the parent to relax, though. That communication had every piece of information you needed to figure out what you needed to do (nothing). What more do you think you need?