If we pay to much attention to the headlines, we could live in a constant state of fear. More and more random violence seems to be occuring in or around schools, with no specific age groups or types of communities excluded. It is unsettling but so far, has not been too close to home.
This week, my children's school was in "lockdown." No student had presented a threat. Rather, a man in a neighboring town stabbed two people and has not been apprehended. From internet and newspaper reports, and the "reports" that my 3rd grader brings home each day, I have gathered that the alleged perpetrator(an ex-con) is going through a divorce. His wife had a restraining order against him but he broke into her home on Tuesday and stabbed her and the man with her. By all accounts, this seems to be a domestic issue. However, in light of recent events in our nation--combined with the fact that he has a relative that works at my children's school--the school is on heightened security, locking all doors, escorting children to recess and Mass, etc. The school has offered that we may keep our children home but has not canceled school. I went ahead and sent my kids to school but of course, ran through "what if" scenarios a few times in my mind!
In light of events such as Virginia Tech, I realize that they have to take all scenarios into account and they have said that if this man is not apprehended by Monday, the school will be in lockdown again.
Sending my children to a small, Catholic school in a small, midwestern town does not guarantee their safety. I do not believe this particular individual is an immediate threat to my children. In light of events such as Virgina Tech however, perhaps the school--all schools--should follow more of these security measures on regular basis.
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UPDATE: They arrested the man on Sunday morning! The kids are thrilled (and I feel better, too)!
2 comments:
Yes, it's always best to err on the side of caution.
As a public school teacher in our old home town, we practice lockdown drills several times a year. A few years ago, there was a domestic disturbance at an apartment complex down the road. The suspect was on the loose and all the area schools were notified and put on lockdown. It lasted for about an hour, and while it is difficult to maintain classroom normalcy with 18 kids inside your storage closet, you just never know what a disturbed individual will do. Better safe than sorry.
I'm sorry you all have had to deal with this. It is a scary world sometimes. No matter how safe things may seem, it doesn't hurt to be proactive about safety. Luckily, our school hasn't had to be on lockdown, but you hear about them here just about everyday. I have said recently that my boys will be home-schooled and I will even home-school them for college. Of course I'm just kidding (I think!)
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