Dear J-D families and staff,
The news yesterday of yet another school shooting that took the lives of at least 19 innocent children and two adults simply going about their day is difficult to process, especially as many of us are still dealing with raw emotions from the horrific shooting in a Buffalo grocery store less than two weeks ago.
Children and the people who work in our schools should feel safe when they enter our buildings, but events such as these make us all feel vulnerable and impact our sense of safety and security. Here at Jamesville-DeWitt, we are committed to promoting a safe learning environment where students and teachers collaborate to pursue academic excellence and emotional growth.
We keep our school doors locked, have visitor protocols in place and each school building has a single point of entry that is monitored by staff. Security cameras are installed throughout our schools, as well as outside our facilities.
We have a school resource officer who serves all of our schools, and we work collaboratively with the Town of DeWitt Police Department to share information to keep our schools as safe as possible. We continue to look for ways to enhance our safety measures to make our environments safer.
We will reinforce here at school the idea of “see something, say something” as it continues to hold significance, especially with the role social media plays in children’s and adolescents’ lives. Anyone can reach out to a building administrator or another trusted adult with concerns or use the J-D Tips form to anonymously submit a concern.
If you are struggling with how to talk with your children about this most recent tragedy or looking for support, I have shared some resources below that I hope you find helpful.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Uvalde school community and all those whose lives were changed in an instant yesterday. I am also thinking of each of you as we collectively and individually take a deep breath and reflect upon the state of our world and our place in it. Remember to lean on each other when you need support for we are all in this together, and always remember that together, we are J-D.
Sincerely,
Peter Smith
Superintendent
Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers
Helping your children manage distress in the aftermath of a shooting
Texas school shooting: How to help kids get through unspeakable horror