Murray Avenue Middle School Responds to Facebook Group

Last week it was learned that two middle school students in the Lower Moreland School District with the goal of selling their personal belongings to other kids in the district.

According to the school, the items sold on Murray Avenue grounds "mainly included athletic gear and electronic equipment," but there were also numerous pictures of weapons that appeared on the page that were to be sold by minors. 

Superintendent Dr. Marykay Feeley, teachers and faculty are now working on a solution to create awareness and make students conscious of the dangers of social media. On Tuesday, May 22, Deborah McCoy will speak with Murray Avenue students in a presentation about online issues such as cyber bullying. She is scheduled to speak with Murray Avenue students in each grade (6-8) starting at 8:20 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Murray Avenue also drafted a letter that was sent out to all of the parents who have kids who go to the school:

May 18, 2012

Dear Murray Avenue Families,

The Lower Moreland School District has taken swift action since learning that students from Murray Avenue School launched a Facebook group this week to sell items which mainly included athletic gear and electronic equipment. There were also photographs of weapons to be sold on the page.

Acting on a Memorandum of Understanding between the Lower Moreland Township Police Department and the Lower Moreland Township School District, Superintendent of schools, Dr. Marykay Feeley has authorized a collaborative investigation and questioning of the students allegedly involved in the Facebook group’s creation.

The School District will also be contacting students and parents via its notification system to reinforce its zero tolerance policy for bringing items to school which could jeopardize student safety and to discourage students from bullying and/or selling products in school.

Communication between the School District and the police will continue throughout the weekend and until the situation is resolved. Please be assured that your child’s safety remains our top priority.

Sincerely,
Jennifer A. Dilks
Principal Murray Avenue School

About McCoy From SpeakUp.org:

McCoy leads in-depth bullying prevention, cyber-bullying, threat assessment and violence prevention trainings for educators. Her seminars provide practical strategies and solutions to the problems of bullying and violence among students, so schools can develop effective programs to address these issues. She has also developed an early childhood bullying prevention & conflict resolution training for teachers and caregivers that work with children two through six years of age. Deborah is President of Educational Development Services, LLC, a company that provides training and consultation to educators addressing a wide range of issues. Ms. McCoy also conducts trainings for students and parents, and creates and implements on-site bullying prevention programs for schools K – 12.