Schools

District Responds to Report of Unknown Men Playing Basketball with Greenvale Park Students

A mother reported that on three occasions her son and other KidVenture students played basketball with two unknown men at Greenvale Park Elementary.

A mother of a student at on Monday notified Principal David Craft that on three occasions last week two unknown men played basketball with students participating in the afterschool program KidVentures, which takes place at the school.

Following an inquiry from Northfield Patch about the report, released the following statement:

Corey:

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The safety and well-being of our students is our primary concern. Here is a summary of how the event was handled by the school district:

April 9, 2012, a parent visited the principal of Greenvale Park raising a concern that her son played basketball after school while participating in KidVentures program with two men who were not a part of the school district’s staff.

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The parent reported that:

  • On three occasions during the week of April 2, two adult males were observed playing basketball on the Greenvale Park Elementary School playground after school when the KidVentures School Age Child care program children were on the playground with adult supervision.

Upon investigation, the principal discovered that:

  • The adult supervisors on the playground did not ask the adults to leave but were aware of their presence and observed them interacting positively with the students.

The principal and district administrative team responded in the following manner:

  • When a parent reported to the school principal on Monday, April 9 that these adults had interacted with her son who is in the Kid Ventures program, the principal informed the school district police liaison of the incident. He also notified all other Northfield Public Schools and in the possibility that this event was not exclusive to Greenvale Park Elementary School.

  • Principal Craft and the Community Services Division Ventures Coordinator Katie Valek have interviewed the KidsVentures staff and reminded them that adults without elementary children in the program or any children over elementary age are not allowed on the playground when the program children are present.

  • All school staff and Community Service afterschool programs staff have been reminded that adults without elementary children in the program or any children over elementary age are not allowed on the playground when programs are present.

As a school district, we want to make our outdoor facilities accessible to the public within the community when school is not in session and when no school district programs are using the outdoor facilities. The playground is considered an extension of the classroom. During the school day, we do not allow strangers to enter the building and interact with students in the halls, classrooms or other areas. The same is true for the playground. We cannot allow adults without elementary children in the program or any children over elementary age to have interaction with students during the school day or when they are enrolled in afterschool programs.

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