Monday, December 17, 2012

Letter Home

In the wake of the tragedy in Connecticut, we have drafted the following letter which will be sent home with students today; I have also included a link to resources courtesy of the U.S. Department of Education for helping students of all ages deal with grief: http://rems.ed.gov/HelpingYouthandChildrenRecoverFromTraumaticEvents.aspx


December 17, 2012

Dear Parents and Guardians,

On Friday, the nation learned about the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. We extend our deepest sympathies to the victims’ families and the Newtown community.
We consider the safety and well-being of our students and staff to be a top priority. While there is no indication that this is anything but an isolated incident in a state far from Wisconsin, we do want to remind all of our families that we have a comprehensive emergency response plan in place to ensure the safety and security at our school. Some of our safety procedures include:

·        - During the school day all exterior doors to the school building are to be locked with the exception of the entrances by the elementary office and the high school office. The only point of entry into our schools should be through the school offices.
·       -  Visitors and parents are expected to check in with our school office each time they visit.
·        - We follow a comprehensive crisis plan and conduct emergency drills including practicing lockdown and fire drills during the school year. Emergency drills provide the opportunity to practice preparation and safety procedures.
·        - We regularly review our crisis plans and work closely with local emergency agencies.

We recognize that news such as this can be very difficult for all of us, especially children. We encourage you to limit the amount of media/news coverage of this tragedy; overexposure to media in regards to this incident may heighten any anxiety your child may feel. Attached is a useful resource to assist you in helping your children cope with an event of this nature should it be necessary. Please do not hesitate to contact the school should you have any questions, concerns, or need for support in helping your children to process this information.
In closing, we ask that you continue to assist us as we promote a culture where everyone has a responsibility to be vigilant and focused on safety. Often our parents and community members can be our best eyes and ears in the protection of our students, staff, and school community.

Sincerely,

Patrick Olson                                                              Craig Broeren
PreK-12 Principal                                                        District Administrator