A lesson well learned.

Byline: The Register-Guard

For a community that still vividly recalls the horror of the Thurston High School shootings eight years ago, the rumor that a `6/6/6' shooting was planned at North Eugene High School seemed a disturbingly real possibility.

A student left a message on North Eugene Principal Peter Tromba's answering machine Monday night. She said she had overhead two students discussing a shooting planned for the next day, which happened to be the date 6/6/06 - the number associated with "the beast" in the Book of Revelations.

School officials contacted the police, and authorities immediately initiated an investigation. Lacking sufficient information to discount the threat, they wisely decided to cancel school as a precaution, contacting families through an automatic dialing messaging system and through radio and TV announce- ments.

Turns out it was just a rumor or, to be more precise, a rumor of a rumor of a rumor. Apparently, a North Eugene student and a student at nearby Kelly Middle School had engaged in a theoretical conversation about what might happen on 6/6/06. The middle-schooler then shared the conversation with a student who, in turn, shared it with a high school student who then contacted police.

While the sudden school closure was no doubt disruptive for North Eugene teachers, students and their families, school officials, police - and, above all, the student who reported the rumor - deserve high marks for their judgment and performance in this incident.

Many lessons emerged from the Thurston tragedy and other incidents of school violence across the country. None has proven more valuable than the lesson of communication.

Young people who hear a friend or acquaintance talking about committing mayhem at school should always take it seriously - and contact a parent, teacher, principal or other trusted adult. Adults who receive such information from students need to pay serious and immediate attention.

Research has shown that school shooters typically act on plans and often signal their intentions to friends and other fellow students. Who knows how many young lives have been saved and tragedies averted across the country in recent years because students spoke and adults listened?

Everything worked exactly as it should have at North Eugene High. A conscientious and concerned student contacted a school administrator who took immediate and appropriate action. Lacking sufficient information to dismiss the possibility of an attack, school officials prudently shut down the school and did a thorough job of communicating the closure to staff, students and families.

There are still many lessons to be learned, and more work to be done, on preventing school violence. But this week's incident at North Eugene High indicates that one hugely important lesson - that of communication - has been well heeded.