Well, it's happened again...
I found an article in the Dallas Morning News about yet another scene at a school involving a weapon brought to school.
Another young student has brought a deadly weapon to school. When will kids learn? Or should I say, when will PARENTS teach their children that it is BAD to bring daddy's gun to school for show and tell?
In this case, a fourth-grader at Old Union Elementary School in Carrol ISD brought a grenade to class for, you guessed it... show and tell, which soon lead the school on a 90 minute evacuation. (Luckily the grenade was inactive)
The school's reaction to the event was very effective and the manner in which information was distributed was very to the point and professional. The school district's superintendent put a letter on the district's website that stated exactly what happened, what the school did, and that parents should talk to their children about what consequences will be enforced for bringing weapons to school.
The article in the Dallas Morning News and the letter released by the superintendent both used similar language, and treated the event with similar importance... even if the reporter dramatized it a bit more. I think that the school district handled the situation very appropriately, providing the vital information in a simple, precise manner, and the article presented the event in a similar manner, with a little reporter's touch.
The Dallas Morning News article that I found regarding this incident also mentions proactive measures taken by Wylie ISD when a high school student made threats to bring a gun to school on their MySpace page. According to the district's spokeswoman, Susan Dacus, the threat mentioned bringing a gun to school and hurting people, to which the district immediately responded.
Apparently, the school enacted an automated message system to inform parents of the situation. However, I was unable to find anything on the school or the district's website about the event. I commend their proactive measures in taking care of the situation, but some sort of information should probably be placed on the website as well.
It is so unfortunate that situations like these happen, but it is really up to the school districts to keep students and parents safe and informed.
http://www.southlakecarroll.edu/Letter%20to%20Parents%204.24.07.pdf
http://www.wylieisd.net/default.wspx
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/043007dnmetparentreact.393958d.html
