Attleboro High School Goes Silent in Remembrance of Newtown

For five minutes at Attleboro High School Friday, you could hear a pin drop.

1800 students and 200 staff offered "2,000 acts of kindness" Friday morning when students changed classes from their first block to their first class of the day by remaining completely silent.

The gesture was in memory of the 26 lives lost in Newtown last year.

"High school passing time is an opportunity for students to chat, laugh, listen to music, tweet, or text," Principal Bill Runey said. "In keeping with my teachers' initiative about acts of kindness, it struck me that giving up social interaction is an act of respect and, therefore, kindness directed towards Newtown."

Attleboro High School is currently participating in #26Acts of Kindness - an initiative to remember the Newtown tragedy by participating in good deeds. The silence on Friday was a part of that initiative.

He said he used to ask it of his students every Sept. 11 when he was Bishop Feehan's principal.

"Since our current students were babies in 2001, I held on to the idea at AHS until an appropriate time," he said.

Runey said he introduced the idea Friday morning during "Advisory" period (or homeroom) and the response was strong. He said teachers expressed to him that they were moved by the students' cooperation.

"I walked from one side of the building to another and you could hear a pin drop...clearly a Blue Pride moment," he said.