Northeastern School District sent a letter home to parents about the district's safety policy following Friday's school shooting.
December 17, 2012
Dear Parent/Guardian:
This past Friday, we were all deeply saddened by the tragic events that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. This was a senseless act that resulted in catastrophic loss for many, many people. We join our nation in expressing our sadness and shock over this horrific event. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Sandy Hook community as they begin the long process of healing.
I would like to take this opportunity to share with you the safety practices that are utilized at Northeastern, and to share with you some tips for parents who may be working through fears in your children as a result of this horrific event in Connecticut.
Although there is no absolute guarantee that something bad will never happen, it is important to understand the difference between the possibility of something happening and the probability that it will affect you (our school community). The following list outlines our safety practices which are designed to keep your child safe, to mitigate potential catastrophic loss, and to provide services after a tragic crisis event:
1. We have limited access to our school buildings (designated entrance with all other access points locked from the exterior). All visitors must be “buzzed” into the main hallways where classrooms are housed by our main office personnel.
2. We monitor and screen all school guests (report to main office, sign in, wear badges, report unfamiliar people to school office).
3. We monitor and supervise student common areas such as hallways, cafeterias, and playgrounds.
4. We have school-community partnerships that enhance safety measures for students. Our local police and fire personnel have been a part of our school safety planning, review our emergency procedures, and have taken part in actual drills in our school buildings. Our first responders are familiar with our buildings and have copies of each building’s blueprints so they can be used in an actual emergency.
5. We have crisis plans and regular preparedness training (Each building has a Building Emergency Response Team called “BERT” who regularly reviews plans and participates in simulation drills. This group assists in leading the emergency response in most crisis situations).
6. We encourage a safe, supportive school climate that provides school-wide behavioral expectations, caring school climate programs, positive interventions and supports, psychological and counseling services, and violence prevention programs (bully-proofing, social skill development, conflict mediation, No Place for Hate initiatives.)
7. We encourage students to take responsibility for their part in maintaining safe school environments, including student participation in safety planning. They, better than adults, know the hidden or less trafficked areas of the school that are more likely to be dangerous.
8. We promote compliance with school rules, reporting potential problems to school officials, and resisting peer pressure to act irresponsibly.
9. Each building has participated in a Threat assessment and our teams work together to address identified concerns.
10. We have regular school preparedness drills (intruder alerts, weather and fire), so that both staff and students are familiar with emergency procedures.
11. All buildings have security systems, along with video- monitoring in some of our schools and on all of our buses.
12. There is a pre-determined off-site Parent Reunification location. All administrators have been to the site and have received training on the procedures that would be used to reunite children with their parents if they have been evacuated from their school. The location of the site is confidential so that any potential intruders are not aware of its location. Parents will be informed as to the location of their children in the event of an evacuation on the day they are evacuated.
13. An emergency communication system is in place that can get emergency messages out to the public quickly through an automatic phone calling system and Parent Email blasts.
14. Crisis intervention counseling services are available through our staff, Wellspan, and the Lincoln Intermediate unit should there be an event resulting in catastrophic trauma and loss.
Even though the Newtown tragedy did not happen in our own school district, there has been much media attention and many of our students may have been affected by this tragic event. Alan Kazdin, a professor of child psychology at Yale University, offers four tips for parents to frame a discussion and help their kids cope.
1. Don’t Over-Talk This
Parents can easily project their own fears onto their kids. Your kids will likely hear about it, so your child has questions. Answer at the level of the question. Parents shouldn’t dwell on the tragic nature of it, but don’t be evasive. Don’t lie, don’t withhold.
2. Shield Kids From the Media
After 9/11, kids suffered trauma from overexposure to the media. Child psychologists call it “secondary terrorism.” As parents, we sometimes take the stance that our kids need to be tough and “they might as well know the truth.” But psychologists say they need to be”coddled, cushioned and comforted” now so they can be emotionally stronger later.
3. Don’t Pull Your Kids Out of School Today
Try to keep as many normal rituals going on as possible. Go to soccer practice. Keep that play date. Kids need you to know that this doesn’t affect them.
4. Reassure, Reassure
If your child develops a fear of school, tell them, “This is so rare. This never happened to mommy’s school. Grownups are doing everything to keep kids safe.” Remember that through “middle childhood,” kids have normal excessive fears: the dark, sharks, etc. If they say, “I don’t want to go to school,” help them distance themselves from it. Repeatedly reassure without dismissing their fears and give them a hug. Touch makes a huge difference.
Finally, open communication between home and school is critical to the safety and well-being of our students and your children. Let us know if you have a concern or question about school policies or your child’s safety. Know if your child’s friends have access to guns. Keep any guns in your house locked up and away from children of all ages.
If your child is experiencing unusual stress related to the Connecticut school shooting, do not hesitate to contact your child’s school counselor who will be there to assist you with needed resources to help your child cope.
Sincerely,
Jody L. Nace, Ed. D.
Superintendent
December 17, 2012
Dear Parent/Guardian:
This past Friday, we were all deeply saddened by the tragic events that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. This was a senseless act that resulted in catastrophic loss for many, many people. We join our nation in expressing our sadness and shock over this horrific event. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Sandy Hook community as they begin the long process of healing.
I would like to take this opportunity to share with you the safety practices that are utilized at Northeastern, and to share with you some tips for parents who may be working through fears in your children as a result of this horrific event in Connecticut.
Although there is no absolute guarantee that something bad will never happen, it is important to understand the difference between the possibility of something happening and the probability that it will affect you (our school community). The following list outlines our safety practices which are designed to keep your child safe, to mitigate potential catastrophic loss, and to provide services after a tragic crisis event:
1. We have limited access to our school buildings (designated entrance with all other access points locked from the exterior). All visitors must be “buzzed” into the main hallways where classrooms are housed by our main office personnel.
2. We monitor and screen all school guests (report to main office, sign in, wear badges, report unfamiliar people to school office).
3. We monitor and supervise student common areas such as hallways, cafeterias, and playgrounds.
4. We have school-community partnerships that enhance safety measures for students. Our local police and fire personnel have been a part of our school safety planning, review our emergency procedures, and have taken part in actual drills in our school buildings. Our first responders are familiar with our buildings and have copies of each building’s blueprints so they can be used in an actual emergency.
5. We have crisis plans and regular preparedness training (Each building has a Building Emergency Response Team called “BERT” who regularly reviews plans and participates in simulation drills. This group assists in leading the emergency response in most crisis situations).
6. We encourage a safe, supportive school climate that provides school-wide behavioral expectations, caring school climate programs, positive interventions and supports, psychological and counseling services, and violence prevention programs (bully-proofing, social skill development, conflict mediation, No Place for Hate initiatives.)
7. We encourage students to take responsibility for their part in maintaining safe school environments, including student participation in safety planning. They, better than adults, know the hidden or less trafficked areas of the school that are more likely to be dangerous.
8. We promote compliance with school rules, reporting potential problems to school officials, and resisting peer pressure to act irresponsibly.
9. Each building has participated in a Threat assessment and our teams work together to address identified concerns.
10. We have regular school preparedness drills (intruder alerts, weather and fire), so that both staff and students are familiar with emergency procedures.
11. All buildings have security systems, along with video- monitoring in some of our schools and on all of our buses.
12. There is a pre-determined off-site Parent Reunification location. All administrators have been to the site and have received training on the procedures that would be used to reunite children with their parents if they have been evacuated from their school. The location of the site is confidential so that any potential intruders are not aware of its location. Parents will be informed as to the location of their children in the event of an evacuation on the day they are evacuated.
13. An emergency communication system is in place that can get emergency messages out to the public quickly through an automatic phone calling system and Parent Email blasts.
14. Crisis intervention counseling services are available through our staff, Wellspan, and the Lincoln Intermediate unit should there be an event resulting in catastrophic trauma and loss.
Even though the Newtown tragedy did not happen in our own school district, there has been much media attention and many of our students may have been affected by this tragic event. Alan Kazdin, a professor of child psychology at Yale University, offers four tips for parents to frame a discussion and help their kids cope.
1. Don’t Over-Talk This
Parents can easily project their own fears onto their kids. Your kids will likely hear about it, so your child has questions. Answer at the level of the question. Parents shouldn’t dwell on the tragic nature of it, but don’t be evasive. Don’t lie, don’t withhold.
2. Shield Kids From the Media
After 9/11, kids suffered trauma from overexposure to the media. Child psychologists call it “secondary terrorism.” As parents, we sometimes take the stance that our kids need to be tough and “they might as well know the truth.” But psychologists say they need to be”coddled, cushioned and comforted” now so they can be emotionally stronger later.
3. Don’t Pull Your Kids Out of School Today
Try to keep as many normal rituals going on as possible. Go to soccer practice. Keep that play date. Kids need you to know that this doesn’t affect them.
4. Reassure, Reassure
If your child develops a fear of school, tell them, “This is so rare. This never happened to mommy’s school. Grownups are doing everything to keep kids safe.” Remember that through “middle childhood,” kids have normal excessive fears: the dark, sharks, etc. If they say, “I don’t want to go to school,” help them distance themselves from it. Repeatedly reassure without dismissing their fears and give them a hug. Touch makes a huge difference.
Finally, open communication between home and school is critical to the safety and well-being of our students and your children. Let us know if you have a concern or question about school policies or your child’s safety. Know if your child’s friends have access to guns. Keep any guns in your house locked up and away from children of all ages.
If your child is experiencing unusual stress related to the Connecticut school shooting, do not hesitate to contact your child’s school counselor who will be there to assist you with needed resources to help your child cope.
Sincerely,
Jody L. Nace, Ed. D.
Superintendent