Ballard High School students are planning to walk out of classes this afternoon in protest of what they say is President-elect Donald Trump’s divisive rhetoric about racial and social issues.
Below is the email Principal Keven Wynkoop sent to families today:
Ballard Parents and Guardians,
I wanted to share the message that I just read over the intercom to students regarding this afternoon’s walkout. Let me know if you have any questions.
Keven Wynkoop
Students,
A quick message about this afternoon’s walkout. First of all, I want to make it clear that any students choosing to walkout will be given unexcused absences. Even Parent permission does not excuse your absence. Whether this impacts your grades in classes is based on the policies of your teachers.
More importantly, I want students to think about why they might choose to walkout. I support your right to protest appropriately, but I challenge you to think about how you can make an actual difference instead of just skipping school this afternoon. We have lots of socially aware clubs that would love to have you join them in making a real difference in the world.
Lastly, make sure you treat all students who do and do not participate with respect for their individual decision. No one should feel pressure either way and make sure that everyone knows that it is always great to be a Beaver.
