Sayville School Issues Statement in Light of Newtown Tragedy

The Sayville School District issued the following letter to the public early this afternoon in response to the massacre at a Connecticut elementary school. Twenty students and seven adults at Sandy Hook Elementary were killed this past Friday by a lone shooter who turned the gun on himself as police closed in.

Letter To Our Sayville Community

Regarding the Connecticut Tragedy

On behalf of the school community of Sayville Public Schools, we extend our deepest sympathy to the families of the students and staff at Sandy Hook Elementary School. To all of us who so cherish the lives of our children, the tragedy in Connecticut is unfathomable. 

As always, the safety and security of our students has been and will remain at the core of our mission as a school district. Our Crisis Intervention plans are reviewed annually by administration and staff and are constantly refined as needed. 

As part of our safety procedures, and in compliance with the SAVE legislation, lockdown and evacuation drills are conducted as well as fire drills, so that in the case of a true emergency all of our staff and students have been trained in advance. Our district works closely with the Fifth Precinct throughout the year and, most especially, during times of potential crisis.  The Fifth Precinct has, in fact, been in touch with the district to inform us that there will be an increased patrol-car presence around our schools.

As much as we would wish to shield our children from the horror of what occurred, it is almost impossible in these times of instant and ever-present news coverage.  Please be assured that the social workers, psychologists, and staff at each of our schools will be available to provide any support needed by the children in dealing with this tragedy.

Please know that Sayville Public Schools takes the safety of our students and staff very seriously and will continue to review and, when necessary, improve our procedures to the extent humanly possible.

An excellent resource for parents and educators can be found at:

http://www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/terror_general.aspx