The Portsmouth School department just sent the following message about a potentially scary situation this morning in Island Park:

This morning at the Park & Mason bus stop in Island Park several middle school students were approached by male who sought to engage them in conversation. This male was also seen at several bus stops on Park Avenue, including the one at Park and Morgan in Island Park

The students became uncomfortable with the individual’s presence. The incident was immediately reported to the bus monitor who then reported this information to the administration. Police were contacted promptly to be made aware of the incident and level of student concern. Police presence was requested in the area for the elementary bus pick-ups that were scheduled to occur shortly after the middle school bus run.

The following details emerged from interviews with students:

• Caucausian male with short black hair wearing a turquoise colored hoodie, dark (gray or black) sweatpants, large purple animal print sunglasses, and light colored sandals
• Was on foot

As a general reminder and safety tip, please encourage your children to:

• never talk with strangers
• immediately report any suspicious incidents to the appropriate adults (police, school staff, bus monitors and parents)
• stay away from unknown vehicles

Portsmouth School Department

FYI -- I checked with the Superintendent's office, and the return address on this e-mail shows up as "blackboard.com" because there was a change to the notification system.