A senseless, terrible and cowardly tragedy took place today at Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown. The lives of innocent children and adults were taken from them. Words....cannot express the anger, sadness and grief that I and many feel about this tragedy.
As a parent, I need to explain what happened today to my children when they arrive home from school. Like many other parents the challenge is not explaining what happened but WHY it happened. Not easy explaining to my 8 and 10 year old girls why such a tragedy can and has happened. I know my wife and I are not alone on this.
There's information available on the Cheshire Public Schools website about how to talk about violence, tips for parents: http://www.cheshire.k12.ct.us/media/41822/talking%20to%20children%20about%20violence%20-%20national%20association%20of%20school%20psychologists.pdf
As a parent with children in the Cheshire Public Schools and a member of the Board of Education, despite this tragedy today I believe Cheshire Public Schools offers a safe and secure environment for our children. This unfortunate and sad tragedy has certainly and rightfully made parents concerned about safety in our schools, all schools.
While the school district routinely reviews school safety....I assure you that as a member of the BOE here in Cheshire, that Board and Administration will review our security mechanisms in light of this horrible tragedy. I anticipate parents will have questions on security after today so please don't hesitate to contact myself, the board or the Superintendent's office.
When your children arrive home from school today, give them a great big hug!
My family's thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families. For once, I am at a loss for words over such a needless, senseless loss of precious life.
