Monday, March 19, 2018

A School Community Conversation UPDATED with new "non-credible threat"

Harry Funk/The Almanac
At Mt. Lebanon High School, about 200 students filed out of the building shortly before 10 and stood below the walkway connecting the school building with the athletic facility, as could be observed from a Lebanon Avenue sidewalk just off school property.
Myles Greenbaum, a junior, said he created 17 signs representing each of the Florida fatalities and distributed them “to show a powerful image” as students stood outside under clouds with the temperature in the mid-20s.
“I was in the front and able to see everyone freezing and I believe that it was perfect conditions for the circumstances,” Greenbaum reported via email. “All of the students were freezing, in pain, wanting to go inside, but their pain is nothing compared to the families of the victims of Stoneman Douglas. We stood strong for all 17 minutes with everyone silent (excluding one very rude student).”
Read more: South Hills students participate in March 14 walkout


Update March 20, 2018 5:12 PM Another "non-credible threat" today. Wouldn't this have been the time to remind parents of tonight's "conversation?"

From: Mr. Brian R. McFeeley, Principal - Mt. Lebanon HS <noreply@mtlsd.net>
Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2018 4:10 PM
To: Parent/Guardian
Subject: Graffiti in Bathroom


Dear Parent/Guardian:

This afternoon, a staff member reported to school officials finding what they perceived as a threat written on a bathroom wall at the high school.  Upon learning this information, the Mt. Lebanon Police Department was immediately contacted. Both the Mt. Lebanon Police and our administrators immediately responded and conducted an onsite threat assessment. The threat was deemed to be non-credible and no further action was recommended.  

School safety and security is our number one priority.  I want to reinforce that it is important that students, parents, staff, and other members of our school community should always feel comfortable reporting any concerns they may have to a principal or to the Mt. Lebanon Police.   Once again, I share this information in the spirit of maintaining open lines of communication during these sensitive times regarding safety and security in our schools in the event your son/daughter heard a rumor about this.  

I appreciate our continued partnership ensuring a safe school environment for our students, staff, and visitors.

Sincerely,

Brian R. McFeeley
Principal

Update March 20, 2018 7:50 PM From Facebook at 7:30 tonight. 


26 comments:

Anonymous said...

200? Is that all? How many students are enrolled in MLHS? 2,000? That's pitiful and complacent. Typical Mt. Lebanon.

Lebo Citizens said...

Yep, you are very close, 1:11 AM. According to the district, total enrollment for the high school as of September 2017 is 1,763 students. https://www.mtlsd.org/page.cfm?p=915

Are you going to the meeting tonight? If so, let me know if the parents are also complacent.
Elaine

Anonymous said...

It makes me wonder how many parents will show at tonight's meeting. I thought the walkout would consist of 3/4 of the student body. Instead, less than 15% participated.

This is a bubble, indeed.

Anonymous said...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/maryland-high-school-on-lockdown-after-shooting/ar-BBKsWWG?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartandhp


#NEVER AGAIN---AGAIN

Lebo Citizens said...

That is so powerful, 9:38 AM. We all want to think it can't happen to us. I hope there is a good turnout tonight.

For those readers whose kids are at the high school, did you get any feedback concerning the walkout?
Elaine

Anonymous said...

There were actually 800+ students... I'm not sure where this info came from.

Lebo Citizens said...

11:15 AM, I shared the link.
Elaine

Lebo Citizens said...

Breaking news says the shooter is dead and that an armed school resource officer engaged the Maryland school shooter.
Elaine

Anonymous said...

From the article about today's school shooting--


"You never think it'll be your school and then it is," Mollie Davis, who identified herself as a student at the school, wrote on Twitter. "Great Mills is a wonderful school and somewhere I am proud to go. Why us?"

Anonymous said...

11:15 AM,

My child participated in the Mt. Lebo HS walkout. From his perspective, the total number of students involved seemed more like 200 than 800. In fact, although students remained respectfully silent while outside for those 17 minutes, he said at the time many expressed their disappointment about the low turnout.

Anonymous said...

1:11, since you’ve elected to got there, please tell us what you’ve done in the last month to make a difference? Aside, of course, from impugning the character of the teenagers who live in our community.

Anonymous said...

We are powerless 2:18. You are the one with the power. Do something.

Anonymous said...

3:22, what power do I have? I’d love some more power, but I’m not sure I have any more than anyone else.

Anonymous said...

I just asked my son about how many participated in the walkout. He said about 200 to 300. Maybe 400 tops.

Anonymous said...

Some *more* power. Aren't you a member of the Board? What have *you* done to make a difference? Besides using big words.

Lebo Citizens said...

11:15 AM, if you have a photo of the 800+ students participating in the walkout, I would be happy to post it here. All I have is the photo that Harry Funk took, which doesn't look anywhere close to your claim.
Elaine

Anonymous said...

After the walkout, no teachers or administrators said a word about it.

Anonymous said...

The MLSD safety meeting last night in the auditorium was not even half full. Pathetic.

Anonymous said...

Before the walkout lots of kids were making fun of it, saying that it won’t change anything, protests are bad, etc. I don’t think they feared getting in trouble. Dr. Steinhauer made it very clear that there would be no repercussions. Strange as it seems, he was the only overlord at the school who encouraged the walkout. Like their parents, students didn’t want to disturb the bubble---for anything or anyone. The teachers did not comment on the walkout (either before or after) because “it wasn’t relevant to them.”

Anonymous said...

6:43, you could not be more wrong. do you actually speak to people before you post these comments? or do just like to make stuff up to further some anti lebo agenda?

Lebo Citizens said...

8:44 AM, what part do you disagree with? I don't expect you to identify yourself, but were you there?
Elaine

Anonymous said...

Elaine, why don’t you challenge 1:11, who called the students pitiful and complacent? Did 1:11 interview each one? Was 1:11 there? My son did go outside. We talked about it, but I don’t think by doing so he felt like he was “making a difference” or doing something that was better than anyone else who didn’t go outside. Criticizing kids for not going outside is like criticizing someone for not going to a funeral. Who does that? People deal with these sorts of things in different ways. I’m sure some kids approached it with solemnity, while others looked at it as 20 minutes not in class. I’m sure some who didn’t go outside had there reasons and we should respect those reasons. Criticizing is easy.

Lebo Citizens said...

All I asked you was what part didn't you agree with, 10:31 AM. Did you disagree with everything that 6:43 AM said? You never answered my question.

Yes, criticizing is easy.
Elaine

Anonymous said...

I’m not 8:44, I’m 10:31, but I can tell you what I disagree with in 6:43’s comments.

1. Were kids making fun of it? Perhaps. They’re kids. I’d guess that most were not making light of it. If 25, 50 or even 150 kids did make fun of it, does that in any way discount what those who did participate were trying to accomplish? I don’t think so.

2. Did some kids suggest it won’t make a difference? Perhaps. But so what? That’s their opinion. Besides, it’s hard to take issue with that opinion. Stayed simply, standing outside for 20 minutes in Lebo, USC, S. Fayette, Dormont, Oakland or anywhere else won’t change guns laws or prevent the next senseless school shooting. See Maryland.

3. Steinhauer did state that no suspensions or other punishments would be handed out. Good on him. I’m not sure if 6:43 is suggesting that because there was no risk more kids should have walked out, but as I’ve already said, everyone has and is entitled to their reasons. Whether there was a risk of getting busted or not shouldn’t be the deciding factor.

4. I don’t know if Steinhauer was the only admin or teacher who encouraged the walkout, but it would make sense why others wouldn’t. It’s not their job. What if other admins and teachers encouraged kids to walk out because of the results of the Lamb election or some other issue? That’s not why they are there. That said, I don’t think 6:43 knows who supported it or not.

5. Some teachers most certainly did discuss it. Two of my son’s teachers discussed it and they did so in a thoughtful and intelligent way. Again, I think 6:43 has chosen to paint with a broad brush without many facts.

6. What number of students participants would have satisfied the critics? And what would that prove, disprove or change? I agree that the false anger and criticism of our students’ attendance at a walkout is simply another brick in someone’s bizarre “I Hate Lebo” wall.

Anonymous said...

Hi. I am 6:43 AM. My child did participate in the MLHS walkout and he specifically told me that the teachers did not comment. The quote about it not being relevant to them came from my son. That's his opinion. Man, you are really an angry person, 10:31 AM.

Anonymous said...

Like I said, 10:31, you are one angry person. Since fear is the basis of all anger, I wonder what scares you so much. Cool out.