Ellen Dunn Darien High School Principal 02-08-17

Before DHS Walkout on Friday, Principal Ellen Dunn Sent Parents this Message

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Here is the full text of an email Darien High School Principal Ellen Dunn sent to parents of students before the Friday, April 20 walkout from the school. Darienite.com asked Dunn for a copy of the email early Friday afternoon, then sent a reminder to Dunn on Tuesday that it hadn’t been sent, before receiving it on Tuesday. Dear Parents and Guardians,

I am concerned about a rumor heard this afternoon that some students are planning
to participate in the National Walkout on April 20, 2018 by leaving school at 10 am and traveling, by train, to NYC. With the exception of the delayed opening for PLCs on Friday, DHS will hold a regular school day. As you remember, we supported our students on March 14th when many of them chose to participate in a short, organized and appropriate response to the tragedy in Parkland, Florida. We are proud of our students and believe in the power of their voices and in their freedom to hold and express varied opinions, however, we do not sanction further disruption to learning.

Darien High School DHS 9-13-16

Second DHS Walkout, Smaller Than Last Month’s, Related to Gun Control Advocacy: Report

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Some Darien High School students walked out of class Friday morning, joining a second nationwide walkout protest a bit over a month since the last one, on March 14, the Darien News reported. This time, the walkout, starting at 10 a.m., was planned for the entire rest of the school day, a much smaller number of students participated, some students marched down Noroton Avenue toward the Noroton Heights Railroad Station to catch a train for a protest in New York City, and school administrators warned students that they would face disciplinary measures if they walked out, the newspaper reported. _________

See also:

What to Expect From the National School Walkout for Gun Safety (New York Times, April 19)
National School Walkout website started by some Ridgefield High School students

 

Darien High School entrance

Superintendent on Darien High Walkout: It Was Orderly, Respectful

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When Darien High School students participated in a walkout on Wednesday to commemorate the Parkland, Fla. school shooting, the event was orderly and people were respectful, school district Superintendent Dan Brenner told the Board of Education that night. “No surprises that March 14 brought the walkout at the high school,” Brenner said at the board’s meeting. “I’m very pleased to report that I think it was an honorable day for our students who walked out, who listened to their student colleagues speak […]”

The students gathered outside during the walkout. He said the walkout lasted for 17 minutes, although a report in Darien News said that the 700 or so students who walked out took a bit longer.