On the morning of October 12th 2017, 32 students were stung by bees across the street from Quince Orchard High School around 8:00 am. Only three students were transported to a nearby hospital, while the 29 other students chose to either remain at school or get picked up by their parents.
Responders to the incident at Quince Orchard High School.
There were no reports of death, and the worst of the injuries were some allergic reactions. Quince Orchard High School Principal Ms. Carole A. Working stated: “Montgomery County Fire and Rescue responded with several emergency vehicles within minutes.”
A student was reported to have been aggravating the bees nest, which triggered the insects to attack the students who were near them at the time.
Across the street from Quince Orchard High School where students got stung.
Although it has been assumed that the animals were bees, there is still no clear answer on whether or not they could have also been wasps, yellow jackets, hornets or even another similar bee-looking insect.
This incident should come as a reminder to all students across Montgomery County Public Schools that it is important to respect other animals’ environments and to not disrupt their way of life. Students should have extra caution to not do anything potentially dangerous, and safety should always come first.
Where the bee nest was believed to have been located.
Classroom Instruction was not impacted at all by this incident, and neither were extra-curricular activities.
Open lunch for Juniors and Seniors at Quince Orchard High School was cancelled for the day in order to ensure the safety of all students. Open lunch was re-opened the next day.
Article by MoCo Student staff writer Matthew Minton of Quince Orchard High School