• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
    • Subscribe/Donate to Inside Press Magazines During the COVID-19 Crisis
    • Issue Archives
    • Site Map
  • Cover Stories
    • Chappaqua Cover Stories
    • Armonk Cover Stories
  • Happenings
    • Westchester
  • Inside My New Castle
  • Just Between Us
    • Chappaqua Just Between Us
    • Armonk Just Between Us
    • From the Editor
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Health & Fitness
  • Single & Smart
  • Et Cetera
    • Worth a Thousand Words

The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

  • New Castle News
    • New Castle Releases
  • North Castle News
    • North Castle Releases
  • Subscribe/Donate
  • Gotta Have Arts
    • Book Excerpts
  • Lifestyles with our Sponsors
    • Sponsor News!
    • Words & Wisdoms From Our Sponsors
  • Advertise
    • Answers to Your Questions, or Contact Us!
    • Subscribe/Donate to Inside Press Magazines During the COVID-19 Crisis
    • Online Advertising

March 14 Walkout

Here at Home: Area Students Plan to Support Their Peers in Parkland

March 12, 2018 by Janie Rosman

Following a tragic Valentine’s Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that claimed the lives of 14 students and three teachers, Women’s March Youth EMPOWER is calling for students, teachers, parents, school administrators, and allies to take part in a 17-minute #NationalSchoolWalkout at 10 a.m. across every time zone on March 14.

Parkland students made their collective voice unequivocally clear–breathing unprecedented youthful energy into a movement. They demand government get a grip on a gun and mass shooting epidemic. Their essential message: Enough is enough and that Congress must take action on gun control and pass legislation that will keep them safe from gun violence at school, home and places of worship.

Horace Greeley High School’s Hannah Fenlon was moved by the heartfelt response of Parkland high school students to organize a national student walkout.

“When my principal Mr. Rhodes asked whether I, student body president, was interested to help organize and plan Greeley’s student walkout, I surveyed the other members of student government,” Fenlon said via email. “We collectively agreed this event would be a great chance for our school community to come together and stand up for every student’s right to feel safe in school.”

The group is working with student leaders and administrators to safely plan the event, and hope it will be a meaningful tribute in remembrance of the student and staff lives lost that day. “While we decided that our walkout shouldn’t adopt an overtly political agenda, I also hope students will leave feeling empowered and ready to use their voices to spark positive, tangible change,” Fenlon said.

Chappaqua Central School District Superintendent Dr. Christine Ackerman said the district is aware of the National Movement for students to ‘walk-out’ of school on March 14 for 17 minutes in response to the horrific shooting in Parkland, Florida.

“While the rationale for individual involvement may be different, from my vantage point the ultimate goal for an event of this nature is to bring heightened awareness to the public regarding student concerns over safety,” Ackerman said.

“This is consistent with Project SAVE law enacted by the New York State Legislature in 2000,” she said. “Our secondary principals are working with our students who wish to part-take in this movement.”

Ackerman said the district sent a notice to families — a different notice based upon the students’ ages — Friday prior to the walkout about how it will handle the day in each building.

“In Chappaqua, we are incredibly fortunate to work with a supportive and involved Town of New Castle leadership team… to collaborate on ways to ensure we are cultivating emotionally and physically safe spaces for our children,” she said. “I look forward to working together with all of our community partners as we continuously look to improve our school district environment.”

Byram Hills CSD Superintendent Jen Lamia said students have been forthcoming, expressing their thoughts, and what we care about is they do this in a safe environment. “Our job as educators has been to educate and keep students safe. As a community, having students work with the administration and share what they’re thinking speaks to us maintaining our schools as safe places.”

Lamia felt, “Students are seeking a way to respond, to be heard, and to unify. Educators must do what we can to hear what students have to say and to keep them safe.”

Although Fox Lane High school in Bedford CSD will be participating, neither district Superintendent Dr. Christopher M. Manno, nor Pleasantville UFSD Superintendent Dr. Mary Fox-Alter — whose district high school is not listed as a participating school —responded to a request for comment.

Robert E. Bell Middle School eighth-grade student Isabelle Good-Ricardo encouraged her peers to participate in the March 14 walkout. Below, Good-Ricardo’s statement shares an encouraging message about evoking positive change in a peaceful way and emphasizes today’s students are making history and are tomorrow’s voters. For Isabelle’s comments, please go to: https://www.theinsidepress.com/bell-school-student-explains-why-the-youngest-voices-protesting-gun-violence-must-also-be-heard/

For general info about the walk and participating schools, please visit https://www.actionnetwork.org/event_campaigns/enough-national-school-walkout

Filed Under: New Castle News Tagged With: #NationalSchoolWalkout, Florida, High Schools, March 14 Walkout, March Youth EMPOWER, Parkland, Responses to Parkland Shooting, School Superintendents, Valentine’s Day

Primary Sidebar

Support The Inside Press

Follow our Social Media

The Inside Press

Instagram

Visit Our Sponsors

Desires by Mikolay
William Raveis – Chappaqua
William Raveis – Armonk
Hickory & Tweed
Houlihan Lawrence – Armonk
Houlihan Lawrence – Chappaqua
Annie B. Shop
Compass: Miller-Goldenberg Team
Compass: Natalia Wixom
Compass: Kori Sassower
World Cup Gymnastics
Northern Westchester Hospital
Douglas Elliman Chappaqua
Douglas Elliman Armonk
Your CBD Store
Sotheby’s – Stacee Massoni
Mount Kisco Child Care Center
Beecher Flooks Funeral Home
Rocks by Jolie B Ray
Drug Mart of Millwood
Houlihan: Danielle Orellana
First Congregational Church
Houlihan: Alicja Bohmrich
Bueti Brothers

Download our Latest Issues

Inside Chappaqua PDF Inside Armonk PDF Inside Briarcliff PDF Inside Pleasantville PDF Discover New Castle PDF

Join Our Mailing List


Search Inside Press

Links

  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe

Footer

Recent Posts

  • CANTORS COAST TO COAST Presents Songs of Sustenance
  • VIRTUAL DUMPLING CLASS WITH DALE TALDE OF GOOSEFEATHER
  • Two Holocaust Education Events Planned for Late January
  • Governor Cuomo Announces Impaired Driving Crackdown During Holiday Season
  • Westchester County Announces Additional Funding for Local Businesses, Nonprofits
  • Tara Mikolay Jewels and Generosity Add a Special Sparkle through the Holidays

Categories

Archives

Subscribe

Did you know you can subscribe anytime for the print editions of either Inside Chappaqua, Inside Armonk–or both?

Voluntary subscriptions are most welcome, if you've moved outside the area, or a subscription is a great present idea for an elderly parent, for a neighbor who is moving or for your graduating high school student or any college student who may enjoy keeping up with hometown stories.

Subscribe Today

Copyright © 2021 The Inside Press, Inc. · Log in