UPDATE 11:27 a.m.: Police have cleared the school campuses of Berry Elementary School and Mattawoman Middle School. The suspicious package reported this morning was an empty feral cat shelter made from a plastic cooler.
Berry Elementary School will be closed for all students today. All students who rode a bus to school this morning were re-routed to Westlake High School. The suspicious package was reported around 8:45 a.m., which was right when Berry was preparing to open for the school day. This is why bus riders were re-routed to Westlake this morning. Parents of students who got on a Berry bus this morning can pick their child up at Westlake. Westlake is located at 3300 Middletown Road in Waldorf.
Additionally, there were AlphaBEST students already at Berry this morning when the package was reported. Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) is picking up all of these students by school bus and taking them to Westlake. These students should be at Westlake by 11:45 a.m.
Any Berry student who is still at Westlake this afternoon around 3:45 p.m. will be taken home by their normal bus.
Parents who are picking up their child at Westlake should bring photo identification.
Mattawoman Middle School is resuming normal operations and will dismiss students on time this afternoon.
2/7/2023: On Tuesday, February 7, 2023, at approximately 8:46 a.m., police responded to the access road between Berry Elementary School and Mattawoman Middle School due to a suspicious package.
Police arrived on the scene to find a cooler wrapped in tape. Police backed out from the scene and requested the bomb squad and fire and rescue personnel.
The Charles County Sheriff’s Office is working with Charles County Public Schools and the Charles County Volunteer Fire and Emergency Medical Services, who is handling the investigation into the suspicious package.
There is an investigation by police into a suspicious package located outside on the Berry Elementary School and Mattawoman Middle School campuses. As a precautionary measure, all bus traffic for Berry Elementary School has been re-routed to Westlake High School. Mattawoman Middle School students and staff are safe inside the school. Mattawoman is on a hold status, meaning all students/staff are inside the building, safe and accounted for. The school campuses are blocked at this time.
The Maryland State Police bomb squad is on the scene and investigating the suspicious package. Police continue to confirm both Berry Elementary School and Mattawoman Middle School buildings are safe for students and staff to remain inside. Both schools are in a secure status at this time, meaning no one can enter or leave the buildings.
Although Mattawoman is in a secure, operations are continuing inside the school as normal. Parents are encouraged to not attempt to visit either school campus, as police have blocked the entryways.
AlphaBEST staff are supporting all students who were at Berry prior to the change in the school status. Berry Elementary School students who RIDE A BUS were transported to Westlake High School, located at 3300 Middletown Road in Waldorf. Parents of these students can pick up their child at Westlake. Mattawoman Middle School is not dismissing at this time due to the secure status and active investigation. CCPS will continue to update you as soon as we learn more information from police.
