Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Does the massacre at Newtown, CT, signal the need for a political debate on gun regulations?
Before officials had even held their first press conference Friday, Facebook was abuzz with status updates about the Newtown, CT, massacre. The statuses were split between those sending their condolences and those asking if the country would finally deal with the issue of gun control. Some fought back, asking for respect and mourning before political debate began. Others remained fierce in their belief that stricter gun control regulations would have prevented such a mass killing, saying the victims were shot multiple times and with semi-automatic weapons, according to Fox News. The guns were not illegal and were, in fact, owned by the shooter's mother. Among them were a semi-automatic .223 caliber bushmaster rifle and two handguns. Those …
Monday, December 17, 2012
On Friday evening and over the weekend, officials in Lexington released statements in response to the school shooting in Newtown, Conn. and shared tips for talking about it with kids.
Twenty-six lives were taken last Friday morning in a gruesome mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. that cut America to its core. That evening, and in the days that followed the Dec. 14 massacre, we heard from a tearful President Barack Obama and solemn law enforcement officials, and were moved by the various television tributes, like Saturday Night Live's "Silent Night" cold open. Here in Lexington, the questions came fast and furiously. Among the FAQs were inquiries about school security procedures and how to discuss these tragic events with children. Meanwhile, Lexington Public Schools staff was informed of the situation and made preparations in order to be able to communicate with parents and students as …
Saturday, December 15, 2012
On the gut-wrenching initial reaction, searching for answers and, eventually, making a difference and, eventually, talking to kids about the Newtown Tragedy
In the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting the range of emotions run from terror to sadness to anger. I can’t get the image of terrified little Kindergarteners out of my head. I tried distracting myself with mundane chores. I tried playing Lego’s with my Pre-K and first-grade children. I tried calling friends and family. I finally decided to write. After all, that is what I have been doing since I was in Kindergarten. I write when I am happy and I write when I am sad. But as a parent, you never want to write about this. I was horrified when I saw the hoards of emails coming across my laptop about school security. Why would everyone be talking about this on a Friday afternoon before Christmas? I started to get that sick …
A letter sent home to parents – and shared here – provides “some words of support over the weekend should this event come to your child’s attention. And an email sent Saturday morning provides age-appropriate guidelines for talking to children about trage
“Shocked” and “saddened” are words many have used to describe the tragedy that struck Newtown, Conn, on Friday, Dec. 14, and the Lexington Public Schools are no different. “We are all shocked and saddened by the shootings at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut,” Superintendent of Schools Paul Ash wrote in an email to Patch. “No words can explain such a horrible act. Explaining school security standards, Ash said at each K-5 school, the school doors at locked when school begins each day. And all school principals have been trained in security measures should an intruder enter the building. “The training program was funded by a federal grant and security materials are in each school,” Ash said. “Since some measures …
Friday, December 14, 2012
LPS staff was quickly informed and began preparing to communicate with parents and with the students when they arrive at school on Monday morning, according to School Committee Chairwoman Margaret Coppe.
Lexington School Committee Chairwoman Margaret Coppe said Friday that the district was "indescribably saddened" to learn of a mass shooting that claimed the lives of more than 20 at an elementary school in Newtown Conn. Dec. 14. Coppe also said the schools staff were informed and are preparing to communicate with parents and students when they return to school on Monday. According to reports, a gunman believed to be the son of a teacher rampaged through Sandy Hook Elementary School, killing 20 children and a handful of adults. Connecticut State Police Lt. Paul Vance has confirmed the death toll as 20 children, 6 adults, including the shooter, and one adult victim at a "secondary scene" in Connecticut, according to a Patch report. In …
PBS has strategies for talking and listening to your children about the news.
In the wake of the Newtown, CT shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Lexington parents may find their children hearing about the tragedy or seeing it on the news and find themselves in a difficult discussion. For parents seeking guidance on how to address the tragedy with their own children, if it comes up, PBS has an article with flexible suggestions for answering kids' questions about the news. How would you talk with your children about a tragedy such as the Newtown, CT one? Let us know by posting a comment in the comments section below.
