Ross Valley Schools ‘Hypervigilant’ Following Texas Shooting

SAN ANSELMO-FAIRFAX, CA — Ross Valley School District Superintendent Marci Trahan said the school district is reviewing its safety protocols and procedures in the wake of an Uvalde, Texas shooting that killed 19 elementary school students. Trahan also sent resources to parents to help them explain such a frightening event to their children.

“We are again deeply saddened and angered by another horrific shooting, this time at an elementary school in Texas,” Trahan wrote in an email to district families. “Our hearts, thoughts, and condolences go out to the families and staff of Robb Elementary School, along with the whole Ulvade community. It is more important than ever that we check in with our children in meaningful and comforting ways.”

Trahan told Patch that the district is working with law enforcement and emergency partners to “utilize best practices to reduce threats and increase response,” as it does after any other school emergency.

“In the short term, all employees in our schools will be hypervigilant, and we will continue to work in partnership with our parents/guardians to create safe spaces and provide reminders for our students, staff, and families to say something if they see something, hear something, or know something,” she wrote in an email to Patch.

Trahan noted in her email to her families that all district schools have site-specific Comprehensive School Safety plans that are updated by school administrators and School Site Councils on an annual basis and are written with input from local law enforcement and emergency services. Marin County Sheriff’s deputies have also said that they will increase patrols of all the schools in their jurisdiction, and told Patch that deputies and school resource officers visited every school in the county on Wednesday.

Trahan also said that district schools regularly practice safety drills for all types of emergencies, including fire, earthquakes, and intruders. She also said that schools emphasize “cultures of kindness and inclusion through daily activities as well as special school-wide initiatives and assemblies.”

Trahan, like many other nearby districts, shared the following resources to help young children make sense of Tuesday’s events:

• Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers - National Association of School Psychologists
• How to Talk To Kids About School Shootings – Common Sense Media
• Parent Guidelines for helping youth after a shooting - National Child Traumatic Stress Network
• Responding to School Violence - Tips for Administrators - National Association of School Psychologists
• Anxiety Over School Shootings - Child Mind Institute
• Helping Students Cope With A Violent World - Edutopia

SEE MORE:

• Texas School Shooting: What We Know About Uvalde Victims
• Texas School Shooting: Live Updates In Photos
• Texas Shooting Prompts CA Senate To Pass Bill Targeting Assault Guns
• Marin Sheriff Pledges 'Increased Presence' At All Schools
• 'Enough!' Warriors Coach Steve Kerr Gives Impassioned Plea On Shooting