FH Schools Super on Conn. Shooting

The following is a message from Fair Haven Schools Superintendent Kathi Cronin concerning how the district will deal with the dissemination of news and aftermath effects of last week's Connecticut school shooting:

The school shooting incident in Connecticut has left us all feeling emotionally raw. Such a violent and senseless act against children leaves me with few words.

I wanted to let you know, however, how we will be dealing with this situation on Monday.

As a school district, we will not be addressing the shooting incident with our students. Many parents have emailed me to say that they have not shared information with their children and we want to respect that decision.

In addition, quite frankly, we as adults do not have an explanation to give to students for such a tragic event.

Although we will not be initiating conversations about the school shooting in our classes, students will quite possibly bring it up. If that occurs, teachers will acknowledge that it is a very sad event and will assure the children that they are safe.

If any student seems highly anxious or upset, teachers will refer them to our school counselors. Keep in mind that children may share information with their peers during the unstructured times of day such as lunch and recess. Although we will do our best to redirect those conversations, we cannot always control what children may say to their friends.

In addition, we are aware that many of the older children are sharing their worries and concerns on Facebook and other social media sites. Although this is out of our control, I do encourage parents to monitor their child’s accounts as it will provide insight into how your child is coping with the Connecticut tragedy.

I strongly encourage you to reach out to our counselors if your child is having difficulty or is feeling highly anxious about returning to school. Our counselors are prepared to work with individual students beginning first thing Monday morning.

In closing, I want you to know that we take school safety very seriously. We routinely work with our local police to create and revise our safety plans. In addition, our Board of Education Buildings, Grounds and Safety Committee is committed to keeping our schools safe and secure for students.

I thank you for all of your support, especially during this difficult time.

Sincerely,

Kathi Cronin

Superintendent