Statement from schools in Southern AZ on CT school shooting | News

TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now)- The following is a statement released by Tucson Unified School District about the Connecticut school shooting earlier this morning:

"The administration, staff,  and governing board of Tucson Unified School District would like to express our extreme sadness at the horrific school shooting that took place today in Connecticut. We are thinking of the families and school employees affected by this shocking act of violence. As a precaution, TUSD School Safety has increased its security presence at our elementary schools. All district security measures remain in place at all our schools."

This letter was from Dr. Wilson, Superintendent of Marana Unified School District:

Earlier today, the nation learned about the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. We extend our deepest sympathies to the victim's families and the Newtown community.
We consider the safety and well-being of our students and staff to be a top priority. While there is no indication that this is anything but an isolated incident in a state far from Arizona, we do want to remind all of our families that we have a comprehensive emergency response plan in place to ensure the safety and security at all of our schools. Some of our safety procedures include:

• During the school day all exterior doors and fences to a school building are to be locked. The only point of entry into our schools should be through the school offices.
• Visitors and parents are expected to check in with our school office.
• All schools follow a comprehensive crisis plan and conduct emergency drills including practicing lockdown and fire drills on a consistent basis during the school year. Emergency drills provide the opportunity to practice preparation and safety procedures.
• We regularly review our crisis plans and work closely with local emergency agencies.

We recognize that news such as this can be very difficult for all of us, especially children. We encourage you to limit the amount of media/news coverage of this tragedy. Overexposure to media in regards to this incident may heighten any anxiety your child may feel. Attached is a useful resource to assist you in helping your children cope with an event of this nature. Please do not hesitate to contact your school counselor should you have any questions, concerns, or need for support in helping your children to process this information.
In closing, we ask that you continue to assist us as we promote a culture where everyone has a responsibility to be vigilant and focused on safety. Often our parents and community members can be our best eyes and ears in the protection of our students, staff, and school community.
We are heavy-hearted by this tragedy and will continue to keep the families of those involved in our hearts.

This letter was sent to parents at Tanque Verde High School:

Dear Families,

Many of you may have heard by now that there was a shooting at an elementary school in Connecticut this morning.~ Details are still unfolding.

As you spend time with your children over the weekend, you may find the below resource useful if questions arise about tragedies of this magnitude.

In the coming days/weeks, should you have any questions, concerns, or need for support in helping your children to process this information, feel free to contact me or our counselor, Katie Stika.

We send our thoughts and prayers to the entire community in Newtown, Connecticut

Greg Anderson
Principal

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