March 5th, 2019

Dear Sir John A Macdonald families,

I am writing to make you aware of an incident that happened today during our lunch hour.

Students in the cafeteria became aware of a peer’s Instagram post that included threatening comments. The post was shared widely among our students, causing some panic and miscommunication that a shooting would take place.

SJAM students immediately brought the issue to the attention of the administration, and we were able to quickly identify and secure the student responsible for the post. As a result, we did not have to put our school into lockdown or hold and secure.

Following our school safety procedures, we called and worked with Waterloo Regional Police right away.

I want to make it clear to our families that the Instagram post did not make an explicit threat that a school shooting would take place. The post did contain information that is worrying to staff, and we are investigating the incident with police.

Sometimes, experiencing incidents like this can cause students to become anxious or feel uncomfortable. If your child is feeling uneasy and would like to speak with someone, our child and youth worker and guidance staff are available.

The safety of students and staff at Sir John A Macdonald is my top priority. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at school.

Principal Jennifer Shortreed

Categories: News