SANFORD — For Sanford High School students, National Walkout Day was all about respect. It was about students in the small city of Sanford, Maine, honoring those who died a month ago at a high school in Florida.

As students gathered in the high school gym Wednesday morning — there was too much snow for an outdoor event—they used markers to sign a big card in memory of the 17 students and staff who were gunned down at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, as they went about their school day on Feb. 14.

“It’s respect,” said student Andrew Blanchard as he signed his name.

“If I was there and a victim, I’d want people to come out and acknowledge I lost my life,” said student Harrielle Bernard. “And it’s support for families.”

Then, Principal Matt Petermann solemnly read the names and a brief biography of each student and staff member who perished. A student rang a bell as each name was read. There was silence in the gym.

In a letter sent home to parents late last week, Petermann noted that students wanted the event to be about remembrance of those who died and school safety, and not a political statement.

One of the organizers was student Jenna Beaudoin, who said once she heard about the events being planned at other schools, she wanted to plan an event for Sanford. 

“I talked to my friends about it, and they were all in to participate,” Beaudoin said in an email earlier this week.  

She sought  — and got — support from school administration and class officers and they set about to plan.

“It was important to us to not label the event as a political statement because of the varying opinions of people involved,” said Beaudoin. “People of all views should be able to honor these victims without feeling the need to ‘pick a side.’ I do think, however, this event should call attention to improving the security and safety of our schools. While not all can agree on gun control, I think it’s safe to say we all want our schools to be a safe place to learn and grow.”

While a number of York County walkout events were postponed because of storm-related school closures, Sanford schools were on a two-hour opening delay on Wednesday. The walkout event in Sanford came directly after the Pledge of Allegiance and school announcements. Participation was optional — students could take part in the brief ceremony in the gym, they were invited to go to the cafeteria if they if they wanted to talk about what had transpired, or they could elect to stay in their classrooms.

The ceremony was brief, about 17 minutes — one for each Parkland student or staff member who died. After the event, students began to file back to their classrooms to continue the school day.

“It’s a good thing our school did this,” said Christina Fischer, an exchange student who hails from Germany. “It’s a very important thing. It’s a sign it won’t be forgotten.”

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.