Dear Parents, Community, and Staff,
I know this has been a difficult weekend for everyone and Monday
will not be any easier. I did want to follow up Friday’s e-blast with more
details on how the day and the rest of the week will be handled. We are going to take a cautious and careful approach with students, especially at the K-4 level. I believe that in times of stress or crisis, children are best served by returning them to the comfort of their normal routines as soon as possible. Therefore, there will be no review of the event and no moment of silence.
If a student needs to ask questions or expresses concerns or fear, his/her teacher will handle this in a sensitive and forthright manner, giving enough information to assure the student that he is safe. If a child is upset, counseling services will be available and parents will be called. Buildings with multiple counselors are on call to send counselors to other sites if needed. District administrators, including myself, will be circulating to all schools to assist where needed.
All district-wide meetings where teachers would be pulled from
their classrooms or counselors, CST members, or administrators pulled from
their buildings are cancelled for the entire week. Again, we want to keep all
personnel in their regular assignments so that routines are maintained.
No previously scheduled lockdown drills will be held.
Principals will convene School Safety or Crisis Management teams
on Monday morning. Agenda items will include, but not be limited to, a review
of current building safety and security procedures (previously sent to all
staff on Friday), an assessment of the emotional state of students and staff,
and any recommendations for safety and security enhancements. Minutes of these
meeting will be sent to me by the end of the day on Monday and reviewed with
the Board Facilities Committee on Tuesday.
Finally, some parents have asked for resources to help them
discuss this topic with their children. Two websites were recently sent to me.
I cannot attest to their value or accuracy and ultimately, how you handle the
tragedy with your child, is a very personal decision. But I did want to include
these:http://www.apa.org/topics/violence/school-shooting.aspx
Additional resources include:
A National Tragedy: Helping Children Cope
Talking to Children About Violence
Listen, Protect and Connect: Psychological First Aid for Teachers and Schools
While tomorrow will not be an easy day, it will be an opportunity
for students to get their minds back on academics, enjoy the support of their
friends, and return to the comfort of their teachers who care deeply about
them.
Sincerely,
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