Westfield Schools Superintendent Updates Message to Parents

Following Friday's tragic school shooting in Connecticut, Westfield Schools Superintendent Dr. Margaret Dolan sent a message to parents. On Sunday, Dec. 6, Dolan updated that message. It reads as follows:

Dear Parents,

I join you in struggling to make sense of the tragedy in Connecticut. We are all still looking for answers, but we also know that your children will be in our schools tomorrow morning. Please know that your child's teachers, counselors and principals have been working over the weekend to prepare for this first school day after Friday's heartbreaking events.
 
Before the school day starts the teachers will have been given guidance as to how to respond to concerns or questions raised by students. We realize that some of our children know families in Newtown who have been impacted by this tragedy, while other students may not have any knowledge of the incident. We know that some of our students have suffered previous losses and may need individual support tomorrow and going forward. All of our staff members will be looking out for the different needs of our students.  

Please also know that the safety of your children is always our number one priority. Each year we update emergency plans for our schools. We regularly work with the Westfield Police Department and Fire Department and benefit from their guidance. We have also received training in emergency procedures from Union County and the State. Your children and all of our staff regularly practice how to respond to a variety of emergencies. We have cameras and buzzers in use on our buildings and will work with the authorities to determine any additional security measures that might be derived from the incident in Connecticut.  

Sincerely,

Dr. Dolan