“Mostly frustration with a side of weariness.”
That’s how Patti Baird, the mother of a Grade 10 student at St.Michael Catholic High School in Kemptville, describes how she feels about the repeated school closures brought on by several anonymous threats that have been received.
The school has been closed three times recently, including on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, after the anonymous threats were received.
It was also locked down last month after a another anonymous threat was made.
School officials have been working with police and threat assessment experts and based upon the results of the latest security assessment, St. Michael opened for students Thursday with classes commencing at 11:00 a.m.
Grenville County OPP say they are continuing to investigate these incidents and are committed to locating those responsible and holding them accountable.
Baird says she’s frustrated that the kids have been allowed to go back to school without the situation being solved and adds there’s a level of fear because it needs to be taken seriously.
She adds that the Ontario Provincial Police, who have released brief statements about the investigation, are the ones that parents aren’t hearing from with any details they have.
Baird says it’s hard to know how the situation will be handled if more threats are received and she’s decided to keep her son at home for now.
“If when, and if they do get another threat, whether they pull the students or are they saying the assessment shows that it is safe for them to be in the schools so they are just dealing with the calls and letting school go forward, or are we just going to keep coming back home.”
Baird adds she would have hoped that schooling would have stayed online until the investigation was closed because it’s more consistent, it’s not back and forth, and both teachers and students know what they are doing without the unknown.
