2/28/18 Dear BNHS Parents, ‘We want to update you on the situation that happened at Belvidere North High School. ‘Yesterday afternoon we notified parents that a message was found on a bathroom stall that threatened school violence at Belvidere North. A picture of this message circulated quickly through social and traditional media. Fortunately, students had alerted adults about the message, which led to an active investigation. We have concluded our investigation with the help of students who had valuable information. This type of event, although the perpetrator claimed it was a joke, has serious ramifications. Pranks related to campus safely are not tolerated. These types of threats result in the most severe school consequences as well as legal and financial consequences for any perpetrator. Disruptions to the school environment like this cannot and will not be tolerated. These disruptions consume valuable community resources. We are grateful for the students who brought this to the attention of parents and adults in the school so quickly. We also express our gratitude to the many parents who have called in to ‘ensure we are aware of the situation, and to the school officials and local law enforcement who worked diligently to close the investigation. Please take a moment and remind your children that making any threat on a public school, business or other establishment is never a joke. | urge you to talk to your children now and impress upon them the seriousness of threats in today's society. | also encourage you to talk with your child about the importance of reporting suspicious activities, threats or disturbing information to a trusted adult. Students need to be aware that law ‘enforcement agencies are taking these threats very seriously and are pursuing prosecution even when such incidents are intended as pranks, | appreciate your continued support of a safe leaming environment for our students. Thank you, Mare Eckman BNHS Principal