Greetings Kent Community,

Open House Appreciations – Last Thursday evening our campus came alive with teachers, parents, and community members celebrating our students and their many accomplishments achieved so far this school year. Learning was on display, and our students have so much to be proud of as they work daily to realize their academic, social, and creative potential. Above all else, the unmistakable spirit of our Kent Middle School community defined the evening. I extend my sincere appreciation to all in attendance for your contributions to the success of the event.

Orbeez ‘Blaster’ Guns – You may be aware of yet another TicTok trend making news across the country,  and possibly influencing behavior among some of our students. Through posts and videos on the social media platform, the "Orbeez Challenge" encourages students to use gel-ball guns or "blasters" to shoot small gel Orbeez beads at people nearby. While soft to the touch, when shot through an Orbeez "blaster" gun, these projectiles are proven to cause injuries such as welts, bruises, and even lacerations.  

If you or your child owns an Orbeez "blaster" gun, or any type of toy gun that shoots projectiles at high speed, please take extreme precaution regarding where and how the toy blaster gun is used. It is unsafe to permit children to freely pursue and shoot each other unsupervised in public, and we need our parents and guardians' assistance to stop our children from engaging in this behavior, or to speak up if you or your child observe something unsafe. If you or your child is struck by a projectile or otherwise feel threatened by behavior that you witness in our community, please contact law enforcement and/or our school as soon as possible. It should also be noted that toy guns, replica guns, or guns of any kind are not permitted on our school campus.

I am hopeful that in partnership we can address this issue before it escalates any further. Thank you for engaging your child in conversation about what is acceptable behavior in our community, and how to respond if children ever feel unsafe.

With appreciation,

All my best,