Police and School District 83 are responding to “threat-related behaviour” involving students of Pleasant Valley Secondary School (PVSS) in Armstrong.
In a letter received Wednesday afternoon (March 11) by PVSS and Falkland Elementary School parents, school district Superintendent Donna Kriger said the RCMP have been in contact with the “families of students identified,” and that school administration and district personnel “continue to work closely with the RCMP, and the situation continues to be actively monitored.”
“In addition to the involvement of the RCMP, the district is also working with Safer Schools Together (SST) as part of our established Threat Risk Assessment Protocol,” said Kriger. “Our school administrative teams are committed to working together to ensure that our schools remain safe and supportive environments for learning.
Vernon North Okanagan RCMP said they were notified on March 9 about “some concerning online behaviour that was being directed toward students at a secondary school in Armstrong.”
“Given the nature of the information, an investigation into the matter was started immediately,” said Vernon North Okanagan RCMP spokesperson Const. Chris Terleski. “Situations involving a potential threat to the safety of our schools are treated with the highest of priority.
“Police, School District 83, and partner agencies, have been working together through a structured risk assessment process. As we continue our investigation, it’s important the community knows school and students are safe and are working closely in partnership with School District 83 to ensure their continued safety.”
As a “precautionary measure and out of an abundance caution,” the two schools have implemented the following additional safety procedures:
• Increased supervision throughout the schools;
• All exterior doors at Falkland Elementary will remain locked during the school day;
• To allow for the transition of students between buildings on the PVSS campus, only the front entrance will remain open, with all other exterior doors secured.
“Please know that the safety and well-being of students and staff is our highest priority,” said Kriger. “If your child shares concerns or information related to this matter, please encourage them to speak with a trusted adult at the school.”
A Shuswap resident and parent of Falkland and PVSS students told the Observer Wednesday the incident was allegedly spurred by another resident of the community, a minor.
The evening prior, Falkland Elementary parents received a letter from the school’s principal, responding to the “questions, concerns, and rumours swirling around our community.”
“Yesterday, we were notified of an incident that occurred with students at PVSS that involved threats and is not linked to our school except by proximity,” reads the message. “We don’t believe our students are in danger, but the RCMP visited our school out of an abundance of caution.
“We also changed our bus stop location for the remainder of the week as a safety measure.”
The principal said protocols are in place to keep students safe, and that the school is working in partnership with the School District and the RCMP “to ensure students can come to school to learn, and be safe while doing so, and that is still very much the case.”
School District 83 students attend classes until the end of the week and then are off for two weeks for spring break.
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