from the Superintendent of Lincoln Public Schools: This morning we are grieving the loss of so many innocent lives due to the shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Each time an event like this occurs, especially in a school, it leads me to reflect upon our practices and protocols and the ways that we provide support to students on a daily basis. We know that the best way to deter violence from occurring within our schools and communities is to ensure that all of our students feel connected to their school, have trusted adults that they can go to, and that we help them develop the skills and coping strategies needed to get through difficult times.
We are fortunate to have a skilled cadre of social workers and school psychologists in our schools who work alongside our classroom teachers and administrators to support students on a daily basis. The best response to these events is to double down on preventative steps of building strong student-to-student and student-to-staff connections and to teach our children social emotional strategies that help them understand themselves and cope with the effects of stress, anxiety, depression, and feelings of anger or frustration, etc. Building strong, positive district, school, and classroom cultures is essential in helping to prevent these horrific events from occurring in our schools. I am providing several links below for resources on how to talk with children about violence. It is essential that our students’ families partner with us by supporting their children at home. Please take some time to review the resources to assist you in having developmentally appropriate conversations with your children. Our hearts are with Robb Elementary’s educators, students, and families, as well as the entire Uvalde community during this time. Please be gentle with yourselves during this difficult time. Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers <https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/school-safety-and-crisis/school-violence-resources/talking-to-children-about-violence-tips-for-parents-and-teachers> Helping your Children Manage Distress in the Aftermath of a Shooting <https://www.apa.org/topics/gun-violence-crime/shooting-aftermath> Tips for Parents on Media Coverage Riverside Trauma Center <https://fs.hubspotusercontent00.net/hubfs/6899005/Content%20Subscription%20Library/Trauma%20and%20Trauma-Informed%20Systems/Talking-withYour-Children-about-Traumatic-Events.pdf> Tips for Parents on Media Coverage National Child Traumatic Stress Network <https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources/tips_for_parents_media_coverage.pdf> Managing your Distress in the Aftermath of a Shooting <https://www.apa.org/topics/gun-violence-crime/mass-shooting> How to Talk to Your Kids About School Shootings <https://www.commonsensemedia.org/articles/how-to-talk-to-kids-about-school-shootings> National Parent Helpline <https://www.nationalparenthelpline.org/> All the best, Dr. Becky McFall, Superintendent Lincoln Public schools
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