Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
Last Friday, just as I had completed my newsletter message, I was made aware of the horrific and tragic school shooting in Connecticut. Like all of us, I was stunned and deeply saddened by this senseless act of violence. As I visited the classrooms throughout the day, I saw the innocent and beautiful faces of all of your children who were happy that it was Friday, nearing the Winter break, and joyfully learning and engaging with their classmates and teachers.
On Friday afternoon, an emergency staff meeting was held. It was a solemn meeting as teachers and staff sat quietly and shared their concerns about how to approach the tragedy with their students when they arrived on Monday. Our School Social Worker, Ms. Burns, debriefed with teachers and shared tools and strategies to use when addressing students’ feelings and emotions. She coached teachers on how to identify behaviors of those children who may be feeling nervous, anxious or fearful as a result of the tragedy.
At the emergency meeting, I reviewed district protocols that Lakeshore is to follow in the event of a crisis requiring a lockdown. Lockdown drills will be scheduled and practiced regularly as are earthquake and fire drills. The back gate near Lake Merced Boulevard has been secured during the school day as a deterrent to intruders. I expect that every parent/guardian come directly to the office and sign in. You will be given a visitor’s badge before going to classrooms. When you leave, you are expected to exit through the lobby or the door on the same floor as the office. What often happens is that parents and visitors leave the building through a door that is locked from the outside. If the door does not completely shut, it is left open or ajar leaving many classrooms vulnerable. Some teachers are choosing to lock their classroom doors. All exterior doors, with the exception of the front lobby, are locked after 5:00 pm, including the doors to the top, kinder and first grade yards. Your cooperation and support in following these procedures is essential to the safety of our entire school community.
I spent much of my weekend reflecting on this tragedy and reviewing our school’s current security plan. This included thinking of any additional security measures that could be put in place to ensure the safety and well-being of every child, teacher, staff member and parent/guardian in our school.
The School Site Council will be discussing further safety measures at their first meeting after Winter break, Monday, January 7, 2013 at 6:00pm.
During this difficult time, it is important to maintain normal daily routines for children, while also being aware of any emotional support your child may require in dealing with their feelings about the event. If your child is experiencing feelings of anxiety or fear and you are unsure how to handle the situation, do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher, Ms. Burns, Ms. Hills, or me, and request additional support. We are here to help in whatever way we can.
Sadly, this tragedy reminds us that we must do whatever it takes to keep all of our Lakeshore community members safe while continuing to provide high quality teaching and learning in a joyful classroom environment. I ask that we stand united and work together as a community to implement further safety measures and follow the ones already set in place.
Ms. Keener