Tamaqua Area School District’s superintendent issued a letter to families Friday morning, asking parents to talk to their children in light of recent school shootings and information communicated in the hallways and posted on social media.

“Many of the conversations focus on security methods and are with the best of intentions,” Superintendent Ray Kinder wrote. “These conversations are vital to preserving the well-being of all involved.

“However, at times conversations occur, often through social media, that lack context and can be misunderstood,” he said.

The district recently had to investigate this type of situation, Kinder said in the letter.

“As I have in the past, I ask you to please talk to your children about the appropriate ways to discuss these incidents and the dangers of posting information that cause stress and concern,” Superintendent Ray Kinder wrote.

“My hope is that guidance you provide to your child will enable us to avoid unsubstantiated rumors that lead to disruptions in the educational process,” he wrote.

But Kinder assured parents that any time they receive this type of information that they will work to protect students, investigate, contact law enforcement and follow the recommendation of experts in the field, he said.

“We do so with the important responsibility of keeping our students and staff as safe as possible,” Kinder wrote.

He thanked parents for their willingness to talk to their children about responsible behavior, and again assured them of the district’s commitment to safety in the letter.

The school district did not receive any threats, Kinder said Friday morning. There were conversations about recent events and reported threats elsewhere that were overheard or seen on social media, which were taken out of context or misunderstood and further communicated, he said. One student talking about an incident in another community or state can be misunderstood as that same student talking a similar incident in their own district, Kinder said.

Tamaqua Area officials investigated these reports and found that there were no threats in the district, he said. Kinder issued the letter to raise awareness and be proactive about these types of conversations in public places, which could cause concern for students and parents, he said.

On Wednesday night, the Lehighton Area School District received a tip concerned about “a potential threat that was circulated on social media regarding the high school,” which led to an investigation and increased police presence at the school.