Attendance was down more than normal at Middletown High School on Dec. 21, but for those who showed up, MHS Principal Denise Fargo-Devine made a point during the morning announcements of addressing safety and rumor control.

Rumors of a potential threat to students who were intending to attend school Friday made their way through several social media platforms on Thursday.  Those fears, largely based largely on rumors and misinformation, coupled with end-of-civilization predictions based on the Mayan calendar, led to many students staying home for the day.

Fargo-Devine reminded students that while it is important to be vigilant, it also necessary to stop the spread of false or flawed information.

Below is the text from Fargo-Devine’s morning announcement, which was also sent out to the Middletown Community via FCPS_FindOutFirst.

“In these times and always, it is essential that students and staff report suspicious activity. However, we must be careful not to be a part of the escalation of fear and the spreading of misinformation. When that happens it serves to impede investigations and keep us further from the factual information we need to ensure student safety and school security. Please avoid saying the phrase, ‘I heard.’