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ELIZABETHTOWN AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT

DISTRICT OFFICE

September 15, 2016


Dear Bear Creek School Parent/Guardian:
The Elizabethtown Area School District wants parents and guardians of students at the Bear Creek School to have
accurate information about a weapons violation at the school in order to discourage rumors and assure
parents/guardians that the school setting is safe. Late last evening, school and district administration were made aware
of a possible violation of our weapons policy (policy 218.1) earlier in the day. The disclosure caused the District to
initiate its Crisis Response plan, which entailed taking the following actions:

Spoke with the Northwest Regional Police Department immediately. Officers from the department joined
District and school administration at the school for an investigation.
Partnered with officers from the Northwest Regional Police Department to search the school for a weapon
based on the information provided to the District. No weapon was found.
Supported the Northwest Regional Police Department as they gathered information from the families who
initially reported the information.
Held a faculty meeting prior to the start of school to make certain the faculty and staff had the necessary facts
to answer student questions.
Invited the Northwest Regional Police Department to be on campus as students arrived as a sign of support.
Conducted grade-level meetings with the students to answer questions and assure them of their safety.

As part of the investigation, it was disclosed by the student in question that a weapon was on the school campus
during the school day in violation of policy 218.1. While the weapon was brought to school without any intent to
harm, we want to assure our Bear Creek School students and their parents that we always take any incident involving
a weapon seriously. While I cannot share all details with you at this time due to reasons related to confidentiality,
please know that weapons violations have severe consequences and that the school is taking the appropriate
disciplinary action.
The importance of having a safe school environment is one that we take very seriously, and we will continue to
emphasize that fact to all of our students. Furthermore, we all play an important role in ensuring that our schools are
safe. In this instance we commend the students who disclosed the information to their parents who subsequently
notified school officials, which resulted in a quick resolution of this unfortunate event. Past tragedies at schools
across the country have heightened everyones concern for the safety of students. Please take this opportunity to talk
with your son or daughter about the serious consequences of bringing a weapon to school and the importance of
sharing information with school officials.
Communication is an important component of safe schools; thus I hope that this letter answers any questions you may
have had regarding this incident. The safety of students, faculty, and staff is the Districts number one priority, and
we will continue to be vigilant. The District appreciates your continued support of a safe learning environment for its
students. Please feel free to contact Annette Spagnolo, principal of the Bear Creek School, by email at
annette_spagnolo@etownschools.org or by phone at (717) 367-0210, should you have any questions or comments.
Sincerely,

Michele M. Balliet, Ed.D.


Superintendent of Schools
Every Student Graduates Ready to Live, Learn, and Thrive in a Global Community
600 EAST HIGH STREET | ELIZABETHTOWN, PA 17022
PHONE: (717) 367-1521 | FAX: (717) 367-1920 | WEBSITE: WWW.ETOWNSCHOOLS.ORG

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