Dear Parents and Staff,
By now all of us have been stunned and saddened by the terrible tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut. I know you all join me in sending our thoughts and prayers to the victims and the families of this tragedy.
As best as I am able, I want to reassure you that we will continue to do everything we can to keep your children safe. We will continue to look at our security measures, practice our lockdown drills and keep our vigilance high on our visitor check in and monitoring procedures.
As a community of caregivers, we at TSD will be prepared to provide support for your students and address their feelings as they emerge in the upcoming days. It will be very important for all of us as well as you to check in with our kids, be attuned to how they’re feeling, how they’re doing and to answer questions honestly and straightforwardly.
Our counselors and principals will help our teachers and dorm staff give our students a sense of security and safety while addressing their legitimate concerns. We will acknowledge and validate the student’s thoughts, feelings and reactions while doing our best to maintain our normal routines.
Any students who show any persistent signs of anxiety or stress will be referred to a counselor for additional support.
In closing, let’s all make sure we are vigilant about safety. Let’s continue to review, plan and practice emergency responses and protocols throughout the year. We are constantly looking at ways we can improve and we welcome your suggestions as well.
Over the next several days and weeks I am sure more heart wrenching details and pictures will emerge as all of us try to wrap our heads around and comprehend the depths of this tragedy. I am attaching a document about “How to Talk To Your Children About Violence”.
Please contact your child’s principal and/or counselor if you want to report any concerns.
Sincerely,
Claire Bugen
Superintendent
Useful Information: