Area schools remember Florida victims

WORLAND — While students across the country walked out at 10 a.m. local time, students in and around Worland stayed in class.

Hot Springs County High School Principal Breez Daniels said they did not have any students requesting to participate until Wednesday morning. She said the school arranged for the students to participate in a 17-minute walk out to have 17 minutes of silence for the victims of the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

According to the HSCHS Facebook post to parents, “High school students approached administration this morning about honoring the victims of the Parkland school shooting. Students will have the opportunity to hold (will not be required to participate) a supervised 17 minutes of silence for the victims outside the high school today at 10 A.M.”

According to the Associated Press, young people in the U.S. walked out of school to demand action on gun violence Wednesday in the biggest demonstration yet of the student activism that has emerged since the massacre in Florida.

More than 3,000 walkouts were planned across the country and around the world, organizers said. Students were urged to leave class at 10 a.m. local time for 17 minutes — one minute for each of the dead in the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Daniels said classes inside the school continued to go forward during the 17 minutes.

School officials said “several” students participated in the walk out Wednesday.

WHS HOLDS

REMEMBRANCE

TUESDAY

At Worland High School, Principal Wade Sanford said no students came forward seeking to participate in the national walk out. He said Wednesday morning, prior to 10 a.m., that a couple of parents called the school stating that their children had permission to walk out if they desired to participate. They did not have any students participate.

He said during orange period on Tuesday the school had a moment of remembrance of the victims and their families. He said it was an opportunity to show support and remembrance for the victims. “Beyond that we haven’t had a lot of buzz about it,” he said.

“Our concern safety wise was that when you have a nationally choreographed walk out and if kids are going to be outside the building, you’ve created an opportunity. That really concerned us, if someone knows at 10 o’clock all of our kids are going to be outside, did we just make them a target. So we went a different route and said we’re going to do this remembrance piece Tuesday [with no orange period on Wednesday] because we want to support that, but we’re not in support of putting all of our kids in one spot to create a possible target. I don’t think anything would happen, but I would feel horrible if we did and if someone with evil intentions were to do that.”

He said students were told if they wanted to participate in the national walk they needed parents permission and they needed to leave campus. “Just for safety reasons, not in objection to what’s going on, just that we didn’t feel good about creating a potential target for someone. That’s what drove our process, was the safety of the kids. We had some conversations with the kids, the kids understood that. We tried to be flexible and have some remembrance and consideration of the victims and their families. But also, if our kids are really committed to that that’s OK but let’s not put you in harm’s way.”

No students signed out Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Ten Sleep School officials said they had no students request to participate. Riverside High School Principal Tony Anson said he also had students request to participate.

According to the AP, scenes across the country Wednesday varied. Students hoisted “Stand United” signs. They chanted “’’Hey, hey, ho, ho - the NRA has got to go” outside the White House. Others put 14 desks and 3 podiums in a circle to honor the students and faculty killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High.

These scenes played out across the country as students put down their pencils and pens and walked out of class to protest gun violence. Activists hoped it would be the biggest demonstration of student activism yet in response to last month’s massacre in Florida.

In Casper, prior to the time for the national walkout, schools were in lockout mode due to an indirect threat.

According to a press release from the Casper Police Department, “This morning the Casper Police Department was made aware of a potential threat towards Natrona County Schools. The Casper Police Department has the individuals involved with the threat in custody. As a precaution, the Natrona County School was in lockout until the Casper Police Department completed their investigation of this incident. At this time the “Lockout” has been lifted [at about 9:30 a.m.] as the individuals are in custody. The Casper Police Department and Natrona County School District take all threats seriously and are vigorously investigating all elements related to this incident. With safety in mind all activities that were planned for today’s National Walkout were canceled. The Casper Police Department and the Natrona County School District will continued to make sure all students, faculty, and community members are safe and provide updates are they are made available.