West Hartford’s King Philip Middle School administration shared with We-Ha.com the following letter that was sent to the school community on Thursday, June 11. It has been published in its entirety, without edits.

Submitted

Dear KP Parents and Caregivers,

Yesterday was an incredibly challenging and heavy day for our school community. We faced two entirely separate, difficult events: a school safety hoax (swatting incident) and a severe medical emergency involving a student from an out-of-district school, witnessed by our 8th graders on a school trip to High Meadow, where we later learned the student had passed away. Our deepest condolences and thoughts are with their family and loved ones during this unimaginable time.

I understand that navigating a loss like this, alongside the anxiety of yesterday’s safety scare, is a heavy burden for our students, staff, and families.  At the start of first period, I met with the entire school virtually to acknowledge exactly why yesterday was so challenging, offer honest context, and ensure every student knew they were safe and cared for and what support was available to them.  Bolstered by counselors, clinicians, and leaders from around the district, students and staff were provided with care and connection.

We were able to provide the following resources today:

• Eight additional clinical staff members joined our building today to provide both individual and group counseling to students throughout the day.
• Two therapy dogs were available for about two hours in one of our group spaces, which provided a much-needed sense of comfort for students accessing support.
• Several of our department supervisors were on campus specifically to support our teachers and staff so they could, in turn, be fully present for our students.

The healing process does not happen overnight, and we will continue to have additional counseling and clinical support on campus tomorrow morning. Our counselors will be completing follow-ups with students who sought help today, and our doors remain wide open for any new students who need a safe space to process their feelings.

I think it is also important to directly address concerns regarding transparency in our communication. I completely understand how frustrating it can be to receive updates that lack specific details during a crisis. Please know that our goal is always to share as much as we possibly can, as quickly as we can. However, we must strictly balance that desire with the legal and ethical obligation to respect ongoing police investigations and protect student privacy.

I am deeply concerned about speculation online that is incorrectly combining separate incidents. Social media is not an accurate or effective place to seek answers or air concerns, and I implore anyone who has questions or needs clarity to reach out to our administrative team directly. We are here to talk to you.

I am extremely proud of how our staff and students handled the difficult situations yesterday, and I am equally proud of how they showed up to love and support one another today. We have a remarkable community.

Please keep an eye on your children this evening. If you feel they need extra outreach from our school counselors tomorrow morning, please do not hesitate to let us know.

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