The following letter from the Middletown Schools Superintendent was posted to the district website around noon Monday, Dec. 17.
Dear School Community,
In the wake of the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut this past Friday, I feel it is important to inform you of the steps taken by our school district to keep our students safe and mitigate theemotional impact of this horrific act.
Our central office administration has been in constant communication with our building level principals to review our safety plans, procedures and protocols.
Our safety plan was developed in consultation with the Middletown Township PoliceDepartment and the Office of Emergency Management based on recommendations from the Department of Homeland Security.
This past weekend, we communicated with our local police to discuss the details of our plan as they relate to this incident. It is important to note there will be increased police presence in our district to assist us in reviewing our procedures.
Administrative meetings are scheduled this week to continue this review.
The feedback we have received from parents, staff, students and the community will help us reflect and improve upon our current plan.
Our staff has been briefed on strategies to respond to students and will not initiate discussion regarding this event.
Students’ knowledge of the incident, as well as their emotional reactions will vary; therefore, our staff will take all concerns seriously and offer reassurance that the adultsin our schools care deeply about their safety and that their school is safe. We have counselors available at all school levels, trained and prepared to assist our students should they need further support.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire community of Newtown during this most difficulttime. Additional resources for families are available on our website.
Sincerely,
William O. George III, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Then there are the security guards. Made up of people who have no training in security and are rather not there to protect the students but to keep the students in line. Being a security guard is not carrying around a walkie-talkie wearing a bright orange shirt but it is being trained in how to react to emergencies and protect the students. This is a very large weak point because if anything was to come up the security guards would be running and hiding just like the students and staff.