Talk With Your Kids about School Shootings

Principals and counselors in the Lake Forest School District have a wealth of resources and advice for parents who ask how to talk to their children about the most recent tragedy in Newton, Connecticut. 

What they would say if you asked is, "Talk with your child, not to your child."  When you talk with your child you ask them questions.  You can't know what to say until you know what they know, what they've heard, what they think of that and what questions they have.  Listening to your child is included when talking with your child.

The story unfolded on Friday, so we don't know what parents may have decided to share through the weekend.  We don't know if some children sat and watched TV news coverage.  We don't know if some parents made it a point to not discuss it at all.  We don't know, child by child, if they have been personally affected.

At the school level what we do offer is assurances that children are safe. We provide counselors and other caring adults for those who have questions or want to talk about what they've seen and heard.  We tell them that we know that such incidences are extremely rare.  We know that we have good, solid safety practices.

Such events as this compel each school to get out their safety plans, review with faculty and discuss what, if any, drills and practices need to be implemented.  We were safe on Friday. 

We will be safer tomorrow. 

Thanks

On behalf of the Lake Forest Board of Education and all of the employees, I want to say thank you to the community for approving the operating referendum this week.

Passage helps to assure a certain degree of financial security for many years.  We'll have no problem sustaining some programs that are critical to student success.   Not only that, but it will allow us to move forward with some of our newest initiatives.

Just this week, we have taken the first steps to form a committee, which will be charged with planning a one to one computer initiative, with hopes to launch in the 2014-2015 school year.  They need time to work on such questions as:  At what grade level will we begin?  Laptop or tablet?  Is our infrastructure sufficient?  What instructional materials and programs will be delivered via the technology?  What and how much training will our teachers need to maximize the use of this tool?  How much will we save in textbooks not purchased?

Finally, we now have some funds to open up negotiations with our employees to adjust the compensation package to bring them out of the cellar and into the middle of Kent County school districts.  That's a pretty modest goal, but ours is a modest community.

So, it's been a great couple of weeks to be a Spartan.  Lake Forest children, staff and activities have been all over the media for the past few weeks.  We're proud to have so many successes.

We can't be successful with out a supportive community.  Thanks again.