Parent resources for helping your student deal with the CT tragedy

Parents - I know you join the staff and administration of the L&N in heartfelt grief over the irrational tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT last Friday.  Please be reassured that we take your child's safety very seriously. 

Some of the things we have in place to help keep our campus safe include:

•  having students and staff wear their IDs visibly on their body.  This helps the security guards, teachers and administrators quickly identify anyone who should not be inside one of our buildings;
•  if you have ever signed your student out early you have been asked to show ID at the front desk, another way we limit access to students;
• all visitors sign in when entering the building - they are given either a lanyard and badge (if they are there all day - like a sub) or a bright yellow "visitor" sticker, again, to help identify those who should be in the building;
• and we are lucky to have two active Security Resource Officers and a KPD officer who routinely patrol our campus around the perimeter, between, and inside the buildings.  They are constantly looking out for individuals who should not be among our students.

Our staff is trained in emergency drills and procedures (just two weeks ago we had a lockdown drill, which would be used in the instance of an unwanted stranger in the building); and we take the practice of them very seriously.    I just wanted to take this moment to reassure you we are doing everything possible to reasonably assure safety of students and adults when on our campus, and when we are together off campus.

If you are in need of some resources to help talk to your student about the tragedy in CT, please visit the system's page at http://knoxschools.org.  They have posted tips and strategies to use to help young people deal with tragedy.   Per President Obama's order, our flags will be flown at half mast in honor of the victims of the tragedy until sunset, Dec. 18.  If there is anything we can do to help your child deal with the situation, please make us aware.