Anonymous wrote:We are a Spanish speaking family and were considering Key (among other options) for our daughter for kindergarten next year. However, the incident last year with threatening messages targeting a student + the latest swastika incident are giving us pause.

Excuse my ignorance, do these things happen across elementary schools in Arlington? Is this just a Key school issue? We keep hearing about Key’s wonderful school community, so not sure what to make of it.

https://www.arlnow.com/2023/10/24/a-swastika-like-drawing-was-found-in-a-bathroom-at-key-school-this-week/?fbclid=IwAR1em6lbwU-g2yiWR9Mev61g-qtbzR0Dq6Sz4F1vAiUV2txAWX8JNYe-JhY_aem_AZp7iJTzQkrBab01SqaK_rTBf1V-mdl2WDBfUkaW_1sM031yF7rdS6rbqoO7zzPA1pA

There have been incidents of swastikas drawn in library books or on walls at many APS elementary schools in Arlington over the years. It's not just Key or just the current situation. There are usually a handful of incidents a year. Each is handled.

Young kids drawing on the wall would not concern me. Many don't realize how harmful a swastika is. This would not give me pause.

I have heard only good things about Key, though we don't attend.

Maybe a Hindu kid drawing their symbol? Hitler stole the swastika from them.

I have a kid at Key in 2nd grade and all she knows is that someone wrote something bad on the wall in the bathroom. She's most concerned with the fact that someone wrote on the walls, as that's against the rules. She would have no idea what a swastika is or how to draw one.

The gun threat last year was a big problem and handled poorly. This strikes me as a 7 yo trying to get adults in a tizzy, possibly put up to it by an older sibling or cousin. I doubt the kids have any idea what it even means.

Key has some issues, including the incident last school year (you can find the arl news now article about it). I personally know two families who left, one Jewish, one not.

Uh…I don’t think second graders are really going around drawing swastikas. Or if they even understand what they mean. Probably just some kid drawing random shapes and it happened to look similar.

[i]“She said the drawing “is not an accurate depiction of the hateful symbol”. “[/]

I’d be concerned if it were older kids, but not in this scenario.

For the "do these happen across elementary schools in Arlington," yes. We had similar issues at our school last year (but not to the extent of threatening to bring a gun), including graffiti threats and anti-semitism. I think our admin dealt with it all very well. Unfortunately, though, admin can't control what some kids are experiencing outside of school and APS is really bad about addressing actual mental health issues in its student body. And we can all argue the cause, but I think everyone will agree that kids are really in a rough place right now. So yes, you're going to have kids making monumentally bad and sometimes dangerous decisions. And you're going to have kids who are coming from racist, anti-semitic, nationalist...homes. Keep that stuff out of your house, talk to your kids about hate in age appropriate ways, as they get older monitor their tech, and make sure they are comfortable to go to someone at school if they see something. Good luck.

We are a Spanish speaking family and were considering Key (among other options) for our daughter for kindergarten next year. However, the incident last year with threatening messages targeting a student + the latest swastika incident are giving us pause.

Excuse my ignorance, do these things happen across elementary schools in Arlington? Is this just a Key school issue? We keep hearing about Key’s wonderful school community, so not sure what to make of it.

https://www.arlnow.com/2023/10/24/a-swastika-like-drawing-was-found-in-a-bathroom-at-key-school-this-week/?fbclid=IwAR1em6lbwU-g2yiWR9Mev61g-qtbzR0Dq6Sz4F1vAiUV2txAWX8JNYe-JhY_aem_AZp7iJTzQkrBab01SqaK_rTBf1V-mdl2WDBfUkaW_1sM031yF7rdS6rbqoO7zzPA1pA