Dear Montgomery County Public Schools Community,

The incident of gun violence at Magruder High School on Friday has shocked our entire MCPS community. During this difficult time, please keep the student who was injured in your thoughts, along with his family and the Magruder community. Although events like this are rare, we recognize the impact they can have on each of us—our children, staff, families and friends. Individuals react to situations like this in various ways. We may feel sadness, grief, helplessness, anxiety and anger; whatever you feel is okay. 

Social and emotional support—including counseling services—will be available for students at Magruder and in all of our schools in the coming days. Any trusted adult in our schools stands ready to connect students with the proper resources to process this incident or discuss any other concerns they may have; additional resources are provided below. This is also an opportunity for you, as parents, to listen to and talk with your children. Reassure them that even when bad things happen, many people are working to keep them safe, including their parents, teachers, school staff and local police. Please remind them: If they know something or see something, they should say something to a trusted adult.

Safety and security remain our top priority. We are grateful for the support of the Montgomery County Police Department, as well as other local police agencies who are helping combat the rising incidents of violence in our community. These trends reflect concerning patterns we are seeing across the country since the start of the pandemic. The Montgomery County Police Department works in close partnership with our schools. In response to the serious incident at Magruder High School, the police department has committed to having a police presence at each high school, and throughout school communities, for the rest of the month. 

In the months ahead, MCPS leadership will collaborate with our county officials, community partners and school-based staff to:

• conduct a comprehensive review of all school safety and security practices;
• address ongoing concerns regarding police presence on school campuses; 
• review the staffing of school-based security personnel and emergency response procedures; 
• implement updated safety and security training for staff; 
• provide social-emotional support for students and staff; and
• communicate quickly and clearly about our ongoing efforts.

Thank you for your ongoing support to make Montgomery County Public Schools a safe and supportive learning environment for all students.

Montgomery County Public Schools

Important Resources:

• American Psychological Association: How to help in an emotional crisis
  www.apa.org/helpcenter 
• National Association of School Psychologists: School Safety and Crisis https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources/school-safety-and-crisis

From MCPS

• Be Well 365 https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/studentservices/wellbeing/index-new.aspx 
• Office of Student Family Support and Engagement https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/studentservices/ 
• Mental Health Awareness Week https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/mental-health/fair/index.aspx 
• MCPS Waymaking    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkZwAghwrSyvIgVRCWXjpiI4iBWRK0Lwl

Important Support Phone Lines

• Montgomery County Crisis Hotline: 301-738-2255
• Maryland Safe Schools Tip Line: 833-MD-B-SAFE 
• Montgomery County Crisis Center: 240-777-4000
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): (240) 401-6498 (For MCPS Employees)