"Assembly Go Boom"

There was an unexpected twist to this bright and sunny day.

I had received a call from Ariana, who was on her way back to school from a field trip, that there was a bomb scare at her school. Only minutes later, a recorded phone message from the principal followed, stating that the fire department had ordered an evacuation of the school grounds; and that parents were to pick up their children at Tabor Academy in the next town.

Driving by the high school, I could see both entrances blocked by fire trucks. Two more fire trucks waited at the mouth of a near-by side street.

It was quite the ordered pandemonium at the academy's athletic building. Lines moved quickly and efficiently. There was no need to search for Ariana as her eyes, along with the eyes of the other displaced students, were all trained on the single door through which parents and guardians entered.

The gym was filled with high school and junior high students from our tri-town area along with their teachers and school officials. We were surrounded with a wall of voices, bull horns, and walkie-talkies.

While I heard one parent complain about the "big deal" over the evacuation and the process necessary to claim ones child, it was an orderly scene. So, it was a bit inconvenient for all involved. Be grateful that the people involved spent all that time and effort to assure the safety of others.

I was quite impressed with the calm and efficiency of the emergency staff. We were quickly processed and out the door.

On our way home, I asked Ariana how the school officials found out about the bomb scare. She said that the school had an assembly scheduled today and that someone had written on the bathroom mirror, "Assembly go boom."

We agreed that more likely than not, this was a prank, not the actual thing. It was probably the impulse of some student who used poor judgment in trying to get a day out of school ~ and who will be up against serious charges should his or her identity be discovered.

(By the way, I just received notification that the evacuation order had been lifted.)

Still, in situations where many lives could be at stake, we must err on the side of caution.

In the meantime, it is still a bright, beautiful, and glorious day.