Minutes of the Northwood HS (NHS) PTSA Meeting
October 16, 2012
Meeting was held in the NHS Media Center and was called to order at 7:30pm with the following in
attendance: Yolanda Mazyck (PTSA President), Brad Sperber (1st VP), Elizabeth Dunn (2nd VP), Jim Burke
(Treasurer), Susan Luck (Secretary), Henry Johnson (Principal), Officer Petr Speight, NHS Security Charles
Newman and 67 Teachers/Parents.
I.
II.
III.
IV.
Welcome from the PTSA President
Review and approval of agenda
September 2012 Minutes read and approved
Principal’s Report
Dr. Johnson provided information on the stabbing that occurred on Monday, 10/15/12 at the
school. He related that the previous week a group of 6-7 students were involved in a fight after
school at the RideOn bus stop at University & Gabel. NHS Security was aware of the fight at the
RideOn bus stop, but the students were not on school property and MCPS has no jurisdiction
off of school grounds. Security stays on school grounds and calls police. When Security is aware
of a fight they typically bring the students to a meeting the following day to try to mediate the
situation. In this case the suspect was not in school the day after the fight at the RideOn. The
stabbing on 10/15/12 was a continuation of the incident from the previous week. On 10/15/12
the same group was outside of the auxiliary gym during lunch. [NHS has only 1 lunch period
and students are not restricted to the cafeteria but may go to other places in the school and are
allowed outside of the school but must remain on the school grounds.] The suspect, an 18 yr old
5th year senior, stabbed the victim, a 15 year old. The victim ran into the school and
encountered a staff member and stated that he had been poked. The victim was taken to the
Wellness Center and it was determined he had been stabbed in the buttocks. A call was made
to 911 and victim was sent to hospital. The suspect hid the weapon (a knife) in a classroom and
left the school grounds. Suspect was apprehended by police with Security’s help in a nearby
neighborhood. All of this happened during the lunch period. Dr. Johnson did not invoke a
Lockdown/Shelter in Place because the victim was in the Wellness Center and the suspect had
left school grounds. Northwood does have a MCPD Resource Officer at the school on TuesdaysFridays (Monday’s are her day off). Once police are called to a school for any incident, the
police take over and MCPS is hands-off. Dr. Johnson invited Officer Petr Speight to discuss this
from a police perspective.
Officer Speight stated he is familiar with NHS and the Security team and believes NHS is safe for
the students. Part of the role of officers assigned to high schools is to develop relationships
with students. He said even the tough students want school to be a safe place. He
recommends that parents should ask for an officer at NHS every day of the week. Security was
aware that the suspect was actually the victim in the first fight the week earlier. He had been
beaten up and his head garb had been tossed off. The stabbing was a retaliation from the fight
the week before.
Question & Answers segment (see attached report)
Principal’s report continued,
-Thursday Night, 10/25/12, is Northwood Open House for 8th graders in the DCC. This year’s
Open House has a new forum.
-Homecoming was a huge success. Very good pep rally and lots of parent volunteers
-No school on Friday, 10/19/12 for Teacher State-wide conference
-1st quarter ends on Nov 2. School closed on Nov 5 & 6
-Principal’s Advisory Council will address concerns from Focus Group and will meet at least
once per quarter.
Officer’s Reports
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Ms. Mazyck asked if parents wanted to have the planned presentation for the evening or
reschedule it for another meeting. It was decided to have the presentation on Advocating for Your
Child by Ms. Veleter Mazyck at a future meeting.
Treasurer Jim Burke reviewed the Budget. Budget was approved.
Deb Frew discussed After Prom party. Students want to have it this year at Dave & Buster’s in
White Flint mall. This option is more expensive and additional fund-raising is needed in addition to
increasing the price of the tickets. The Prom will be at Brookeville Farms on May 18, 2013.
Dan Gray, Listserv moderator, asked to provide identifying information when you send him a
request to be on the listserv, i.e. name/grade of your child.
Brad Sperber wanted to followup on last month’s meeting regarding parents desire to have a
special meeting for the upcoming trial of Mr. Lamere and that the newly formed Advisory Council
will receive questions/comments on issues related to school improvement.
Liz Dunn reported that Spirit Week was very successful and there were no incidents of
hazing/bullying.
Conclusion
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Ms. Mazyck requested parents to complete the Parent Volunteer forms for any volunteer hours
worked and turn it in to her
Tonight’s presentation will be rescheduled; next month NHS will have the Honey Baked Ham
fundraiser.
Meeting adjourned at 8:55pm
Prepared by
Susan Luck
PTSA Secretary
Northwood PTSA Meeting
October 16, 2012
Principals Questions & Answers segment
1. Question. Why wasn’t the school put on Lockdown since it took over an hour to apprehend the
suspect? Answer. The school was not put on Lockdown because the suspect had left the school.
2. Question. Has the suspect been expelled? Answer. Dr. Johnson could not answer that question due
to privacy restrictions.
3. Question. Police used to be at certain schools, can we get police at NHS? Answer. NHS does have a
police officer on Tuesday-Friday; Monday is her day off and there is not another officer available to
take her place.
4. Question. If students can go anywhere during lunch, does that mean that they are often
unsupervised? Answer. Mr. Newman from Security explained that staff members are posted
throughout the school and outside during the lunch period. Dr. Johnson stated staff is posted in
many places but they cannot be everywhere. He explained that the 1-lunch period is very popular
with the students and they like this freedom, however, this is a privilege that may need to be
reconsidered if any future incidents occur.
5. Question. Parent confirming that the weapon was a metal knife. Answer. Yes, weapon was a metal
knife. Questions. Why wasn’t the school put on Lockdown since this was an act of violence.
Answer. Dr. Johnson said the school was not on Lockdown because the victim was in the Wellness
Center and the suspect had left school grounds. [A parent who teaches in Prince Georges county
said that Lockdowns often cause much fear/confusion for students and schools cannot have a
Lockdown every time something happens at a school. She said her children did not realize there
was an incident at the school.]
6. Comment. A female student said that at the end of lunch period she did hear about the stabbing
and she is scared about a weapon being at school.
7. Question. Why is the Officer off on Monday’s? Why isn’t one there every day? Answer. Parents
need to request that the school have officers there every day. Per Brad Sperber, the Principal’s
Advisory Committee will work on a Petition for parents to sign. But this will not just be for NHS,
this will be a system-wide initiative for police in schools. Mr. Newman stated that police in the
schools really serve as a deterrent to bad things happening.
8. Question. Parent commented that funding for police officers should come from MCPS and not the
county.
9. Question. Is there a penalty for having weapons in school. Answer. Yes, a 10-day suspension and
recommendation for expulsion.
10. Question. Parent was concerned that the stabbing was a retaliation from a previous fight. Was
there any sort of peer remediation? Answer. Dr. Johnson said they always try to do a peer
remediation, however, many kids view this as snitching on one another and will not cooperate.
11. Question. Parent noted that it was troubling to hear that this initially started as a religious issue
with one boy knocking off the head garb of the other boy. Answer. Dr. Johnson said this was not a
religious issue; both boys are the same religion. The boys have other issues and knocking off the
head garb wasn’t done for a religious reason.