One day after a 13-year-old boy allegedly stabbed a classmate at a Massachusetts middle school, parents met with school officials to talk about the incident.
A 13-year-old boy was arrested after he allegedly stabbed a girl the same age at Rockport Middle School.
"Everybody's trying to process it," said parent Rebecca Sly. "Everybody is traumatized by the whole situation."
Parents had questions about communication. Some say they first heard of the crime from social media and news reports.
"They sent out an email saying there is an incident," said Heather Stewart. "But I didn't know it was a stabbing until an hour later on the news."
School officials explained the notification procedure and what the priorities were, including making sure the 13-year-old victim got the help she needed.
Trauma counselors also suggested ways for parents to speak to their kids about what happened.
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School officials say they will be meeting with police to figure out what went well, what didn't, and what needs to be changed.
"We want our parents to know we're partners in this and this isn't something that we instantly fix," said Rockport Superintendent Robert Liebow. "It's a long process, it's a long haul."
The parents of the victim sent a statement to the school, saying their daughter is "on the mend," and they thanked the community for the outpouring of support.
