On Monday, we shared that a Mason bus was shot at with a water pellet gun. This may have been done as part of a new social media trend - the ‘Orbeez Challenge’. 

The Orbeez Challenge appears to encourage teens to conduct “drive by shootings” with a gel blaster or toy gun that uses Orbeez-style pellets. The Orbeez is soft, non-toxic, and biodegradable, but could cause injury if striking a person at a high speed or in a sensitive area such as the eyes. This trend also has the potential to cause fear or panic in that some of these gel blaster guns are similar in design to the popular airsoft guns, with some models (like the one used in the incident with our school bus) very closely resembling an actual firearm.

Students Who Bring Water Pellet Guns to School Will Face School Consequences, May Face Legal Consequences

While the suspects in Tuesday's incident were not Mason students, we recognize toy guns (particularly the brands that use Orbeez pellets) are also popular among students in our community. Consequently, we want to reach out to families to raise awareness about the potential consequences of their use on Mason City Schools property, and to ask for your help.

Gel blasters at school present a safety concern for our students and staff, especially because they can be mistaken for real guns. This causes panic, and hurts our Comet Culture. 

It is our expectation that students do not have a gel blaster on any Mason City Schools property or Mason City Schools event at any time. Failure to meet this expectation may result in suspension with recommendation for expulsion, and could also include legal consequences. Please talk with your child about this expectation.

We very much appreciate our families’ partnership in helping our students understand school expectations. Today and every day we always feel lucky to be a Comet!