739 Update

Below is a copy of the letter given to elementary students last week. It will be included in the high school newsletter that will be sent to parents of high school students this week. A copy of the letter is included here for the greater Kimball community, to clarify the district’s response to the tragic events at ROCORI High School. September 26, 2003 Dear Kimball Area Families: Certainly we all have thoughts about the students, staff, and families of the ROCORI schools in our minds this week. We are grieving for their loss and the tragedy that has occurred. We are also thinking about our own safety as well. The purpose of this letter is to let you know what actions took place in our district and what we are doing to help prepare for crisis situations in our community. Word about the situation came to Kimball from local law enforcement almost immediately after it took place. While we did not believe there was an imminent threat to the students or staff in our schools we did put crisis planning into place. At the high school a public address announcement outlining the facts of the event as they were known at the time was made because students were starting to hear about it through radio and television coverage. With student safety in mind, students were not able to enter or leave the building without checking through the office first. Adults were stationed at all entrances to help secure the building. Police were on hand at all times. Counselors were also available to help those who were impacted by the news. At the elementary school staff were alerted to the events but to prevent undue reaction no announcements were made to students. Both schools finished the day as scheduled. The district does have a crisis manual in place that guides administrators and crisis team members through many different potential situations. We will continue to evaluate these plans and our district policies. The district has held mock drills with the city and county and will continue to hold additional drills to prepare staff members and students. We will also make available resources that parents may want to use to help them deal with their children’s reactions. While research has been done on the issue of school violence no conclusive evidence exists that would create a profile of which students are most likely to commit such acts of school violence. There are, however, similar characteristics of those individuals who perpetrate school violence – environmental influences and peer relationships. Perpetrators have very often experienced chronic, severe bullying and teasing by peers. They feel helpless in changing the cycle and resort to violence to get “revenge” or make the torment stop. Research also indicates that late elementary and middle school years are particularly difficult for students. Last year the high school parent organization T.A.G. sponsored a guest speaker on the issue of bullying. Dr. Hoover, professor at SCSU, educated those present on the extent and nature of bullying issues in schools. From that presentation and further discussion a “Respect Committee” was formed which includes both elementary and high school staff and parents. This group will continue to seek ways to help promote positive interactions between students, staff and the larger community. Parents should watch for any changes in their children’s usual behavior or their reactions to violence. In the aftermath of tragedy, children may experience unrealistic fears of the future, have difficulty sleeping, become physically ill, or be easily distracted. If you notice any of these in your child, you may call the school and ask for help from the counselors available. While we cannot guarantee that such an act of school violence will never take place in Kimball, we can assure families that we are doing what we can to prepare staff to both address concerns and train for potential crisis situations. Sincerely,  Scott Thielman  Karen Imholte  Jon Clark