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Up to 100 middle schoolers have been running amok in a Mass. supermarket. Here’s how the principal responded.
The students' behavior included “building ‘forts’ out of paper towels, riding in carriages and electric carts, knocking over displays, and even stealing merchandise,” the school's principal said.
A middle school in Medway is turning to parents for help amid a “troubling trend” of students flocking to a nearby supermarket to build paper towel forts, knock over displays, and generally wreak havoc on early dismissal days.
“Over the weekend, I was contacted by the director of Shaw’s Market, who shared alarming information regarding a troubling trend involving our middle school students who visit Shaw’s on half days,” Medway Middle School Principal Amanda Luizzi wrote in a letter to families Monday.
According to Luizzi, around 100 students have been visiting the supermarket on half days, and “it was reported that a growing number of students are engaging in disruptive behavior” in the store.
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“This includes building ‘forts’ out of paper towels, riding in carriages and electric carts, knocking over displays, and even stealing merchandise,” Luizzi explained. “These actions pose a risk to the students involved and customers of Shaw’s. They also reflect poorly on our school community.”
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In a statement, Shaw’s said it “strives to provide all of our customers a safe and welcoming shopping experience.”
“Because of the close proximity of our Medway store to the local school, large groups of students have been visiting the store on half day Wednesdays,” the grocery chain said. “Unfortunately, a group of these students engaged in disruptive behaviors that negatively impacted other customers’ shopping experiences.”
Located at 65 Main St., the local Shaw’s is less than a mile’s walk from Medway Middle School. The supermarket said it has not banned young people from its stores, instead reaching out to the school directly in hopes of working “in harmony to resolve this situation.”
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To that end, Luizzi asked families to speak with their children about the importance of respectful behavior and the potential consequences they could face “should this behavior continue.”
She said school officials have also informed the Medway Police Department, which may take additional measures to prevent recurrences.
“I understand that the majority of our students are well-behaved and respectful individuals, and I appreciate your support in reinforcing these values at home,” Luizzi told families. “It is only through a collective effort that we can address this situation.”
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