OCONOMOWOC — On Tuesday afternoon, eighth grade students at Silver Lake Intermediate School were asked to stay in their classrooms after the bell to keep the hallways clear and allow staff to work through a situation while protecting student privacy.
According to the Oconomowoc Area School District, there are action plans in place to help students who experience emotional difficulties during the school day.
Here is the letter sent to Silver Lake Intermediate School families:
Letter sent to Silver Lake Intermediate School families by TODAY'S TMJ4 on Scribd
The release from the Oconomowoc Area School District states that the Wisconsin Department of Justice introduced trauma-informed care initiative and training opportunities for public schools.
There was "no threat to student safety," according to the school's statement.
Here is the complete statement from the Oconomowoc Area School District:
"Silver Lake Intermediate School Administration was informed of a student situation on April 23, 2019, and responded quickly. Students were asked to stay in their classrooms after the bell to keep the hallways clear and allow staff to work through the situation while protecting student privacy. Our District has action plans set in place to help students who experience emotional difficulties during the school day, and our response varies depending on the student’s needs.
"It is essential to understand that in recognition of changes schools are facing, the Wisconsin Department of Justice introduced a trauma-informed care initiative and training opportunities for public schools. The training focuses on strategies which address student trauma and mental health needs during the school day. Mental health and trauma in schools is an increasing issue for school districts across the state. As part of this work, there are times when district staff and administrators have to protect student needs, and privacy and the best way to do that is to keep other students away, to provide the time and space to treat the situation with dignity, respect, and confidentiality.
"To protect student privacy, we cannot share details about student situations, but to be clear, there has been no threat to student safety during these situations at Silver Lake Intermediate. The safety of all of our students and staff continues to be our highest priority."
