Resources for Families & Staff Related to Tragedy
The events at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut on Friday, December 14, 2012, shocked the world. We at the North Syracuse Central School District are saddened by the tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and the entire Newtown community. While this most recent tragedy has shaken us all, we are aware that events like these are unfortunately becoming more common. We want to reassure our families that we recognize the risks and are taking measures to provide a safe environment for our students and staff. Since the devastating Columbine High School shooting in April of 1999, public schools have become far more secure. As public buildings however, our schools are inherently at risk. Although we cannot completely eliminate risks, the North Syracuse Central School District has worked diligently to develop policies and procedures to ensure that there are systems in place to reduce risks to our students and staff.
We are committed to keeping our students and employees safe. Any instance of school violence, no matter where it takes place, impacts us all. The North Syracuse Central School District is firmly committed to the safety and security of our students and staff and to helping our families and staff cope with tragic events. We have compiled the following list of resources where students, parents, families, teachers and staff members can seek assistance.
Resources for Parents and Famiies
Talking with Kids About the News - PBS Parents.org (http://www.pbs.org/parents/talkingwithkids/news/)
National Association of Elementary School Principals Report to Parents on Helping Children Cope with Tragedy (http://www.naesp.org/resources/2/Report_to_Parents/2005/rtp11-05.pdf)
The Learning Network (Teaching and Learning with the New York Times) "The Newtown School Shootings: A Place to Post Your Thoughts" (http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/the-newtown-school-shootings-a-place-to-post-your-thoughts/)
Educator Larry Ferlazzo's "The Best Resources on Talking with Children About Tragedies" (http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2012/12/14/the-best-resources-on-talking-with-children-about-tragedies/)
National Association of School Psychologists Tips for Parents and Teachers (http://www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/terror_general.aspx)
Resources for Educators
Statement from the National Association of School Psychologists (http://www.nasponline.org/communications/press-release/Sandy_Hook_Media_Statement.pdf)
National Association of School Psychologists Tips for Parents and Teachers (http://www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/terror_general.aspx)
Resources for Schools
US Department of Education Resources for Schools to Prepare for and Recover from Crisis (http://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USED-6291f1)
National Association of School Psychologist Tips for Reinforcing School Safety (http://www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/schoolsafety_admin.aspx)
Other Resources
President Obama's speech at the December 16, 2012 memorial service (http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/sunday-coverage-of-newtown-school-shooting/#full-text-and-video-of-obamas-speech)
Remembering the Victims webpage from the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/nation/newtown-school-shooting-victims/)
Educator Larry Ferlazzo's collection of resources about the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy (http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2012/12/16/a-collection-of-resources-on-the-sandy-hook-shooting/)
