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Parent recounts Dallas shooting scare, thanks PCIS staff for response
Summary
A Plymouth parent described his seventh-grade daughter's experience in a nearby mass-shooting incident and thanked PCIS staff for their response and support during the March 17 School Committee meeting.
A Plymouth parent told the School Committee on March 17 about his daughter’s frightening experience during a mass-shooting incident in Dallas on March 1 and praised Plymouth staff for their response and follow-up.
John Sherst, who identified himself by name and address, said his 12-year-old daughter, a seventh grader at PCIS, called him to say there was "a shooter 10 feet from where she is," and that she was placed in a lockdown. Sherst described the fear and separation his daughter experienced, and said the episode reshaped his view of life-safety preparation. "There's nothing worse than getting a phone call from your daughter that when she calls you up and tells you that there's a shooter 10 feet from where she is," he said.
Sherst praised PCIS staff for the way they spoke with his daughter and supported her family. He specifically named and thanked three staff members: Laurie Rush (school psychologist), Courtney Salvucci (adjustment counselor) and Michelle Maguire (Gemini counselor). He also offered his services as a "parent advocate" and commended the district’s preparedness drills and staff actions that kept students safe.
Why it matters: the comment highlighted the real-world reach of school-safety training and the role of school counseling staff in immediate post-incident support for students and families. Committee members and staff publicly accepted the gratitude and acknowledged the difficult circumstances faced by families.
No committee action was taken; the item was public comment and informational.
