Letter From Cedar Falls School Superintendent Mike Wells on Newtown Shooting

Here is Superintendent Mike Wells email to Cedar Falls parents after the tragedy of the Newtown shooting.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We all continue to grieve over the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School as well as other tragedies in our community. One thing we all hear when a mass shooting is reported is that no one ever expects the event would ever happen in our community or school.

My top priority as Superintendent of the Cedar Falls School District is for the safety of all students and staff. Know that our counselors are available for our students to talk with them about questions or fears they may have about recent events. Please feel free to contact your child's teacher or counselor if you feel additional support is needed. Counselors also have shared information and resources with classroom teachers so they can better support our students.

Here are the links that may be helpful as you talk with your children:

http://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/pfa/english/appendix_e7_tips_for_parents_with_adolescents.pdf and http://tlcinstitute.org/PTRC.html

We also want to take this opportunity to remind you of the District's ongoing regular safety preparations:

• We have an extensive crisis planning process through our District Safety Committee. This committee, which includes representatives from both Fire and Police along with other community partners, regularly reviews and updates our Crisis Plan. Our Safe School Plan follows a model recommended by the U.S. Department of Education. Through Preparedness, Prevention, Response and Recovery, we take safety measures before, during, and after a crisis or drill.

• Each school in the district has a building-specific plan and a response team that will be activated in the event of a crisis. The plan includes procedures for responding to a variety of emergency situations; such as fire, weather-related emergencies and threatening situations like an intruder. These procedures are drilled on a regular basis and the results are reviewed in an ongoing effort to improve safety measures.

• Each school has taken measures to monitor individuals entering the building through the front entrance along with locking most other exterior doors. As we continue to remodel or build, additional security measures are incorporated.

• We have developed a district-wide plan for reuniting families in a crisis event. You can help by keeping your contact information up-to-date as outdated phone numbers may prevent efforts to reach you. You can check the information you have on file through Infinite Campus or by contacting your school building office. The district uses ConnectEd notification system to communicate in the case of weather or other emergencies. ConnectEd contacts families through cell phone calls, land line calls, and email. Basic information about this is located at: http://www.cedar-falls.k12.ia.us/parents.

• We will continue to improve our safety plans and incorporate new procedures as needed to keep our students and staff safe. Please help us by reporting any safety concerns you may have.

Please feel free to contact me with questions or concerns you may have. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Mr. Mike Wells, Superintendent