Dozens of Riverhead High School students joined thousands of others across the country in the National School Walkout today, one month after 17 students were killed on Valentine’s Day by a gunman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
Today’s walkout was organized across the country to protest gun violence in schools for 17 minutes at 10 a.m. in all time zones.
“Riverhead made history today!” read an Instagram post from student organizers. “A big thanks to those who came out in support!”
Around 10 a.m., students walked out to the courtyard between the gym and auditorium, which had been designated by the district as the “secure outdoor area” where they would gather. After a moment of silence, they listened to a high school senior read aloud each of the names for the 17 victims of Parkland.
In an email, Superintendent Dr. Aurelia Henriquez said the walkout had gone “very well.”
“We are very proud of our students during today’s remembrance of the Parkland victims,” she said in a statement, adding “They were respectful and courteous and followed the protocols in place to protect their safety.”
Media coverage of the event was not permitted.
District officials had met with students interested in organizing the walkout to devise a plan to allow students to honor the memory of the Parkland victims, Henriquez wrote in a letter posted on the district’s website and Facebook page last week.
“While we must remain neutral in our stance, as educators and parents, we are sensitive to the reason behind the March 14 event,” she wrote in the letter.
Henriquez said that during the next few weeks the district will be focusing on 17 random acts of kindness to further honor the lives lost at Marjory Stoneman High School.
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