Below is a copy of a message emailed to all ORLA families this afternoon (Monday, November 19):
Good afternoon ORLA families,
I want to follow up with all of you regarding our school closure this morning and let you know that school will operate as normal tomorrow, Tuesday, November 20.
The decision late this morning to close school for the rest of today was made after consultation with the Olympia Police Department. When it comes to safety, especially in our schools, we follow the advice and direction of our police department.
Police advised us of two suspicious devices located across the street from our school. Those devices ended up being two industrial scale pipes that police report were filled with a combination of sand and dirt. The Washington State Patrol bomb squad used a remote control robot to blow up the end of both pipes, and police reported to our district that there was no material in the pipes that would explode, nothing to indicate there were detonator devices, and nothing to indicate the pipes were a threat or an implied threat.
As we mentioned in our email, phone and text communication to you today, we moved students to the north side of our school building, which police deemed a safe area, until their parents arrived to transport them home.
Thank you for all of your patience and understanding with our school closure today. We also appreciate the Olympia Police Department for its quick action and communication in keeping our students safe.
We look forward to seeing all of our students tomorrow!
Celeste Waltermeyer
Principal