By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
In the wake of the shooting deaths at a Newtown, Connecticut, elementary school Friday, Lawrence Township school district officials have taken steps to reassure parents and children that the district is enforcing its safety and security procedures to keep the students safe.
In a letter posted on the school district’s website Monday morning, Superintendent of Schools Crystal Edwards wrote: “I can assure you that the safety of our students and staff is always a top priority. We have a school security plan in place and review and practice it regularly.
”We work with the Lawrence Township Police Department on drills and communications, including those for a building lockdown,” Ms. Edwards wrote. “The Connecticut incident is a stark reminder of the importance of our safety procedures and check-in process for all visitors to the schools.”
There are locked safety/security doors at the main entrance to each school, and all visitors must be “buzzed” in to gain access, she wrote. Visitors sign in at the main office. Members of the media, vendors and delivery truck drivers must check in, too. All exterior building doors are locked during the day.
”These are just a few of the procedures we enforce to help ensure we know who is on campus,” Ms. Edwards wrote. “Certainly in this day and age, we can never be absolutely protected against all circumstances, but we educate our staff and students and have ongoing safety protocols and drills throughout the year.”
The school district’s Leadership Council, which consists of district administrators, met Tuesday to go over the district’s safety protocols, and to consider staff and parent questions raised as a result of last week’s incident in which 20 children and six adults died in the Connecticut school shooting.
Meanwhile, counselors are available to meet with students, staff or parents who would like to talk to someone about the incident, Ms. Edwards wrote. The school community will work “diligently” to help everyone cope with the tragedy, she added.
The National Mental Health Association and the National Emergency Assistance Team have offered tips to help children and their parents cope with the news of a school shooting, including validating a child’s feelings and empowering him or her to take action regarding school safety.
All explanations of the incident should be kept developmentally appropriate. Very young children should be given brief and simple information that should be balanced with reassurances that the daily structures of their lives won’t change.
Upper elementary school and early middle school children will be more vocal and likely to ask questions about whether they are truly safe, and what is being done at school. They may need help in separating reality from fantasy.
Upper middle school and high school students will likely have strong and varying opinions about the cause of violence and threats to society. They may want to share concrete suggestions about how to make schools safer and how to prevent future tragedies.
At the same time, parents should let children know that school violence is not common, and that is why such incidents attract so much attention. Recent studies have shown that schools are more secure now than ever before.
Children should be encouraged to report specific incidents — bullying, threats or talk of suicide — and to develop problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills. Older children should be encouraged to participate in student-run anti-violence programs.
Parents should explain the safety procedures in place at school, such as the reason for having visitors sign in at the main office and why certain doors are locked during the school day. Parents should stress the importance of obeying school rules and policies.
Also, help children to identify which adults at school that they may talk to if they feel threatened at school. Make sure that the child knows how to reach parents or another family member or friend in case of a crisis during the school day.
Recognize behavior that may indicate that a child is concerned about going back to school. Younger children may react to school violence by not wanting to go to school or take part in school-based activities, while teens and adolescents may minimize their concerns outwardly but may become argumentative or withdrawn, and allow their schoolwork to suffer.
Parents who are worried about a child’s reaction or have ongoing concerns about the child’s behavior or emotions should contact a mental health professional at school or at the local community mental health center.

