Dear Parents and Guardians,
It is with a heavy heart that I prepare this communication.
As all of you are probably already aware, last Friday our country suffered a
terrible tragedy when a gunman entered Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut
and took the lives of 26 people. As a parent of young children myself, and as a
school administrator I have found this incident to be very upsetting as many of
you have as well. My heart and I am sure yours as well goes out to the families
and communities impacted by this event.
I have received several emails from parents with questions
that one would expect after such an incident: How would my school handle such
an incident? What will the school do to assure my student’s safety? Will there
be a specific communication or message from the school? What do I say to my
child? I hope this communication provides answers to those questions, useful
information, and to the best of my ability reassurance.
First and foremost, I want everyone to keep in mind that
schools are statistically the safest location for your child/student to be. Be
sure to reassure your student(s) of this if the topic of school safety arises.
While it is highly unlikely that we will ever be in the same situation as Sandy
Hook Elementary school, we still prepare for the improbable because we
recognize that it is possible. We have in place specific protocols and
procedures for school shootings, threatening incidents nearby, and threatening
people inside the building. They are designed to strike the balance between providing
a safe environment, while maintaining a welcoming, healthy environment.
We regularly revisit our response protocols and from time to
time make changes as necessary. For example, two years ago we added the
automated communication system. We primarily use it for communicating
semi-regular school notices, but the driving force for its implementation was
to communicate to all parents in the case of emergency or school cancelations.
We purposefully selected a web based application so that communication could be
pushed out to parents from any location. In the case of an emergency, be sure
to keep your phone/email nearby as we will use that to communicate updates,
important information, and specific directions if needed. If you have not been receiving
the automated phone calls or emails, please contact Carolyn Spangler in the
school office 262-537-2216 EXT 3903 and she can update your profile.
Following this most recent incident, I plan to consult with
local law enforcement and seek their input as to whether or not we need to
revise our current response plan. We have all seen a noted change in the method
used by the Colorado shooter and now the Connecticut shooter. I would like
their input as to whether or not our current plan of action is still their
recommendation. I am sure this will be reviewed at the state and national level
as well. As a parent and an
administrator I want to assure you that we have the best procedures in place as
recommended by law enforcement and state agencies and I will strive to assure
that we continue to have them in place.
Three years ago I attended a special FBI sponsored training
on school shootings. What I took away from the training was that the only way
you can prevent something like this from happening is to have open
communication with stakeholders and stop the event before it takes place. In
almost every incident there have been signs and “chatter” before it took place.
If you or child ever hears anything, sees a facebook posting, a note, an email,
or anything that would cause concern. Don’t sit on it. Refer it to authorities
or to us at the school and we will refer it to the proper channel. We will
communicate this message to all students in an age appropriate manner.
In regards to communicating with children, the school will
follow the recommendations outlined by the National Association of School
Psychologists. I linked a copy of the document to this post so thatyou can read it as well. Please be sure to review it as there are
recommendations for what parents can do as well. In short, we as adults should
model calmness and control; Reassure the children that they are safe; Remind
them that trustworthy people are in charge; Let them know it is ok to feel
upset; Observe their emotional state (behaviors as well as words); Keep your
explanations developmentally appropriate.
I wish you all well and it is my hope and prayer that we
never have to deal with such an event. I want all of you to know that the staff
at Wheatland loves and cares for your children very much, and we will do everything
we can to protect your children as if they are our own. Thank you for taking
the time to read this message and I wish you all a very happy holidays. You
will soon have extra time to spend with your children. Be sure to hold them
close and let them know how much you care for them.
Sincerely,
Jason Tadlock
District Administrator
