Community Corner

ISD 281 'Deeply Saddened' By Connecticut School Shooting

Robbinsdale Area Schools officials gave tips to parents for talking with their children about the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

In a letter to parents, Robbinsdale Area Schools shared words of sympathy for those parents on the East Coast who are mourning the senseless loss of their children.

Newtown Patch reported that 27 people are dead as a result of a school shooting that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT.

In the letter, school officials wrote:

Find out what's happening in Golden Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

You have no doubt heard by now about the tragic school shooting at a Connecticut elementary school earlier this morning.  It will blanket the airwaves this evening and in the coming days.  We are deeply saddened by this tragedy; our heart and thoughts go out to the victims, their families and the entire community of Newtown, Connecticut.

The safety and well-being of our students and staff is of utmost importance to us.  Our district has extremely good security measures in place in all of our buildings and a comprehensive security plan which helps to avoid tragedies such as this.  Further, our schools and the district revisit our security measures and our crisis plan on a regular basis.  In light of today’s tragedy in Connecticut, we will be reviewing our safety and security practices once again to ensure that they are the best they can be.

While this was an isolated incident very far away from our schools, we are sensitive to our students and parents who may raise questions or concerns.  There are many resources to help parents work with their children in coping with news such as this.  Here are some tips from the National Association of School Psychologists:

    •    Focus on your children over the weekend and into the coming weeks.  Reassure them of your love, and keeping in mind their developmental level, try to help them understand what has happened.
    •    Talk with your children about the incident, as much as you feel comfortable doing.  Remember that if you don’t, someone else will. 
    •    Your physical presence will reassure your children.  Many children will want hugs, or want you to sit close to them, or reassure them in the middle of the night.
    •    Please limit your child’s television viewing (or hearing the TV) of these events.  If you wish for them to watch, please limit the time.  Images last a long time in a child’s brain.
    •    Maintain a normal routine, but don’t be completely inflexible.  Some children may have a hard time going to sleep, or concentrating.  However, keeping them in school is part of a normal routine and will go a long way to reassuring them that their school is safe.
    •    Give your child an outlet to express their feelings.  Talking, drawing pictures, writing a poem, or going to a house of worship help children express their feelings and feel that they are somehow supporting the victims and their families.

For up to date information on the shooting, visit Newtown Patch.

Find out what's happening in Golden Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Golden Valley