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An incident on Friday, October 11th in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, resulted in another Code Blue alert. Toward the end of 4th period, Mr. DeBoy announced the situation to the student body, and announced various changes -- internships cancelled, athletic events called off. Friday evening's football game, which had already been rescheduled to Saturday, was postponed. On Saturday morning, the SAT's were administered at DHS under the watchful eye of a Montgomery County Police officer. The murders of eight Washington area citizens in broad daylight put the county on high alert. "I think it’s disturbing and frightening that this can happen so many times in 24 hours while no one sees anything at all," junior Angela Gross said after the first five shootings. Students at Damascus, while being assured of their safety due to the school's upcounty location, were told to hurry from class to class, especially when walking to and from the portables. The scene was replayed through much of the following week.week. "School system staff, students, parents, and the community are asked to continue to be patient and flexible in order to allow the school system the maximum ability to respond correctly to changing circumstances," MCPS announced on the afternoon of Sunday the 13th. Code Blue restrictions will be in place on Monday the 14th, as well. A new Emergency Information web page has been established. It is located here. "I think that the administration handled the code blue very well," sophomore Jon Childs said. "Some students, however, acted in an unserious manner due to the fact that this is our first time in a real code blue situation." Teachers covered classroom door windows and locked doors, and security personnel kept the hallways clear. "It was kind of weird at first, because you never know if it was a drill or if it was real," freshman Jon Wu said. By Tuesday, staff members who had a planning period were asked to help patrol the halls and keep the school secure. Field trips and internships were cancelled on Thursday and Tuesday as a precautionary measure. While students had rehearsed a "code blue" situation, it had never been put to practice. According to MCPS, a "code blue" is "a term used to alert staff that an emergency/crisis exists at or near an MCPS facility. It requires all students to be accounted for and under supervision. "At DHS, interns stayed at school, gym classes were held inside, and the lunch schedule was disrupted. "During the day, extra care was taken by all principals and staff to ensure that students were safe and that proper security procedures were implemented, in collaboration with Montgomery County Police," Superintendent Weast said in a letter to parents that afternoon. "It was pretty scary, but I'm glad everyone just stayed calm and we were able to go on with the day as if it were a normal one," junior Allison Leopard stated. At 1:00pm on October 3rd, MCPS informed schools that all afterschool team practices and club meetings were cancelled. At an early-afternoon press conference, MCPS Security Director Ed Clarke announced that activities had been cancelled as a "general precautionary measure." "All afternoon sporting events, club activities, detention -- everything is cancelled," Domergue told students during 7th period. "It's important for you to go home so we can make sure you're safe." On Monday, administrators ended a Senior class meeting early before announcing the Code Blue. The attacks disrupted an otherwise typical school day. "We are all concerned. We are all fearful," Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose told reporters several hours after the Thursday shootings. "Nothing like this has ever happened in Montgomery County. This is a very safe community. Our homicide rate just increased by 25 percent in one day." |
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