Sending Kids to School Today

[mom2rtk]

OMG...the FBI received a credible tip that Nikolas Cruz might be planning a school shooting, and did NOT investigate it. This is a completely different tip from the one they received months prior about a comment made on YouTube.

The FBI Director issued a statement today saying a credible tip was received on January 5, 2018, but it slipped through the cracks and was never forwarded to the Miami Field Office. Needless to say, they are conducting an internal investigation to see what went wrong.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/broward/article200523359.html

I just heard this. I'm aghast.

People saw something. People said something. And it still didn't help.

 

[mom2rtk]

I just emailed the girls' principal. They have two codes (yellow- unknown person on property, red - person in building who didn't check in the office). My 1st grader doesn't remember doing either drill. So I asked if they don't have the drills planned for the teachers to at least do a refresher.

It looks like we will be getting the girls phones. We had no intention of it until they were driving (because we are very old fashioned), but I keep thinking how terrified those parents and kids must have been and how thankful they probably we're that they could communicate on their phones. I can't spend hours not knowing if my babies are safe.

I wasn't planning on getting phones for the kids either until they drive but I have started to think about giving them one now. I just keep thinking what if this happens here and they have no way to get a hold of one on us. I would be terrified.

I think that's a very reasonable response. If my daughter didn't have one already, I would be readjusting and doing the same.

 

[mjkacmom]

No school today - shooter scare.

 

[Boardwalk Jedi]

Yes, they spoke up and no one did anything. That is the problem. Your last statement IS part of the problem. This kid should not have slipped through the cracks When the school has to tell a kid "You can come back but you cannot bring a back pack" there is a bigger issue than a few little discipline problems and the school, at the very least, should have some authority to get something done for this kid.

Why don't we focus on the WHOLE problem and not just one part of it. Rolling your eyes at those you do not feel are as "enlightened" as you isn't going to fix anything.

Except I didn't roll my eyes. You said the not being able to carry a back pack was a discipline problem of the school and I'm telling you the school could not legally throw him out. Read up on Adam Lanza and the amount of things the school (and medical officials) tried to do within their legal means. I'm all about the WHOLE problem and guns are part of the whole problem. The fact that we can't study gun violence as a public health issue is ridiculous. Not sure why you got so salty about that.

 

[luvsJack]

Except I didn't roll my eyes. You said the not being able to carry a back pack was a discipline problem of the school and I'm telling you the school could not legally throw him out. Read up on Adam Lanza and the amount of things the school (and medical officials) tried to do within their legal means. I'm all about the WHOLE problem and guns are part of the whole problem. The fact that we can't study gun violence as a public health issue is ridiculous. Not sure why you got so salty about that.

LOl hardly salty. Its just frustrating when one side yells "THIS is the problem" and the other side yells "THIS is the problem" when in reality both sides are right.

The school should be able to throw someone who is a threat to the safety of students as a whole out. Not "he might beat someone up" but "he might shoot us or blow us up". Schools should have that authority. Schools should be able to tell a parent "for him to come back he has to see a mental health professional". And if the parent chooses to just not send their kid back, then CPS should be called or the local police.

Regardless of the way they go to fix this problem its going to take changing laws. So why not start with that?

 

[PollyannaMom]

DS is home safely today, but I had two robo-calls describing "situations that were investigated". I guess I'm comforted that they are so on top of things, but these copycat talkers really scare me.

 

[luvsJack]

Two of my granddaughters are in school today and I can't say its not a worry just a bit. They are probably in the safest school around thank goodness. There are locks on every door they can lock. No one is supposed to get in without being buzzed in and they are good about keeping it that way, but still. . .

DS picked them up early yesterday, he said he just couldn't take it anymore. But like I told him, you can't do that everyday.

I have seen reports of high schools all over the state getting shooter threats, bomb threats, etc.

 

[MamaBelle4]

I just emailed the girls' principal. They have two codes (yellow- unknown person on property, red - person in building who didn't check in the office). My 1st grader doesn't remember doing either drill. So I asked if they don't have the drills planned for the teachers to at least do a refresher.

I got a reply from our principal. She told me they had drills planned but are planning on doing them sooner but didn't want to do it right after this tragedy as she doesn't want to frighten or upset the kids. She also said the following:


I hope this helps to answer some of your questions and put your mind at ease a bit. I fully recognize how hard it is nowadays to send your child to school and have to "trust" that they will return safely each day. It is unfortunate and scary for all of us.

I didn't mention that it is difficult to do that, but she understands that it is. I love the principal at the kids' school, she really is terrific.

 

[Kitty 34]

This is a spin-off of the Florida school shooting thread.

How did the news affect your kids this morning? (Did they even know about it?) Did you talk about it with them? Did you do anything differently this morning?

My young sons, at the time, were 11 and 13 when the Columbine shootings took place. It was very very tough and sad but they still went to school. It's hard to explain to your children.......just like a few years later trying to explain 911. Sometimes, I guess, there's just no words.....ever.....to explain horrific.

Just hug your babies no matter what their age is.

 

[MamaBelle4]

My young sons, at the time, were 11 and 13 when the Columbine shootings took place. It was very very tough and sad but they still went to school. It's hard to explain to your children.......just like a few years later trying to explain 911. Sometimes, I guess, there's just no words.....ever.....to explain horrific.

Just hug your babies no matter what their age is.

That's the age I was. My dad picked me up from our middle school dress rehearsal of Annie and he was visibly shaken. I will never forget that. This man is the father of 5 & a Vietnam vet, not a lot phases him, but he was just so shaken that day.

 

[asta]

Even though the main discussion here is about younger students I can tell you that the fear never ends - my daughter is a grad student at a large university. She spends long hours and weekends working in her lab. A rally is being held on her campus this weekend and she was informed two days ago by the university that she should not work in lab this weekend because it will not be safe. Our institutions of learning have become battlegrounds!

 

[neverlandsky]

The district has sent out massive notices in the past 48 hours about safety. DS went to high school like usual because there's an armed city police officer stationed at the school. DD in middle school is my anxiety child, she's been home sick, yet with what happened she didn't even want to push through sickness and return to school like she normally does. She hates missing school. Both kids are getting cell phones very soon.

 

[wgeo]

I wasn't planning on getting phones for the kids either until they drive but I have started to think about giving them one now. I just keep thinking what if this happens here and they have no way to get a hold of one on us. I would be terrified.

Slightly off topic - but we ended up getting our kids phones much sooner than we thought we would and I am SOO happy that we did. It is very comforting to track their whereabouts and be able to contact them at any time, and to know that if anything happened they could contact us at anytime.

 

[Claudia1]

I haven't had a chance to read all of the responses but I got a robo-call from the school last night (Thursday) at 10:30pm. It was telling us that it was safe to send our children to school on Friday. They provided details about a student who had made a comment about shooting up the school on Friday. Another student reported it and our school called law enforcement. The call concluded with the info that the student will not be returning to school until this is resolved. (the wording and the message made me think it was a credible situation.)

 

[JimMIA]

I haven't had a chance to read all of the responses but I got a robo-call from the school last night (Thursday) at 10:30pm. It was telling us that it was safe to send our children to school on Friday. They provided details about a student who had made a comment about shooting up the school on Friday. Another student reported it and our school called law enforcement. The call concluded with the info that the student will not be returning to school until this is resolved. (the wording and the message made me think it was a credible situation.)

Hope you slept well!

Often, administrators with pure hearts and the best of intentions feel the need to communicate when they really should just keep quiet. Minor problem resolved...why freak out the whole school community???

 

[Claudia1]

Hope you slept well!

Often, administrators with pure hearts and the best of intentions feel the need to communicate when they really should just keep quiet. Minor problem resolved...why freak out the whole school community???

It was a public comment that was shared on social media by other students. In this case, it needed to be a public response but I agree that other situations would be better to be deal with more quietly.

Edited to add: The original comment was only heard by 1 or 2 students. However, the news spread and was eventually shared by other students, not the original one who made the comment. Teens + electronics + scary comment = news blitz

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

We had threats at two neighboring school districts yesterday, including the one that I work for. As a result, my kids' schools were operating under full lock down. I'm deliberately not mentioning anything about it to my daughter but my son and I talked about it. I was worried that his anxiety would go through the roof but he seems to be doing ok.

 

[kinntj]

My kid's school did discuss it during their seminar time but then moved on if there weren't any questions.

The superintendent sent a letter by email on updated security changes at all schools this summer. The elementary schools will be modified/remodeled to enter into the office instead of open hallway. The high school is new so the security is already up to date. They are talking to the local fire and police about fire alarm pulls and updated procedures for that.

 

[Vicki926]

Good for those students! I was really surprised to hear that neither of my kid's (9th and 12th) talked about it in any of their classes.

My daughter came home disgusted that the teachers didn’t talk about her. Both my kids had 1 teacher each that discussed it..my son’s band teacher, and my daughter’s ceramics teacher.
To be fair her AP Psych teacher was absent, I’m sure he would have brought it up. But still..it surprises me that in high school there wasn’t a discussion in class.

 

[kimmar067]

This is a wonderful idea!

....it forces them to, not only open up about themselves, but learn something about their peers, showing them that they have more in common than not.