Editor's Note: Dr. Mary Sieu, superintendent of the ABC Unified School District, has issued this statement to the ABC community -- parents, students, teachers and staff -- in the wake of the deadly school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. on Dec. 14, 2012.
- - -
To: ABC Community
It is with deep sadness to hear about the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut this morning. There were multiple deaths and injuries resulting from an adult shooter on campus. We recognize that this will cause great concern to many of us. A sense of normalcy is best for our students during these situations.
Please be assured that safety is our highest priority every day. We will continue to be vigilant and will take all measures to ensure that our students are safe in school. We continually work to maximize student and employee safety in our schools.
We do this by:
- Maintaining excellent relationships with the local police and fire departments and city officials in the cities we serve. They always provide outstanding rapid response service whenever called.
- Regularly practicing school-wide drills, including lockdown drills, to prepare for worst case scenarios.
- Maintaining an emergency communication system that we use to connect rapidly with our parents by phone and or email.
As parents, you will be addressing this issue at home. Here is some advice that we would like to recommend:
- Limit exposure to the news. Video footage will be repeated in the next few weeks and we need to monitor it carefully.
- Try to keep a sense of normalcy in your children’s lives.
- Look for signs of anxiety, and if you see them, please let us know and we will work with you to address your child’s needs.
In times like these, we are reminded that every single adult in our school community contributes to our student’s safety and well being.
Thank you for caring and doing all that you do for the students in ABCUSD.
Dr. Mary Sieu
Superintendent
- - -
Follow us on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our newsletter | Blog on Patch
Also related:
- ABCUSD Superintendent Pledges School Safety in Wake of Newtown School Shooting
- For complete up-to-date coverage on the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, visit sister-site Newtown Patch.
