The 10th year anniversary of Sandy Hook is coming up and I got the opportunity to speak with amazing people to hear how the tragic day affected them. I got to learn about emotional wellbeing, awareness of community, and how far school safety has come along. The Sandy Hook Promise is a nonprofit organization led by several family members of those lost in the 2012 tragedy.
I sat down with my co-worker Trish and asked her questions. First one being where she was on the day of the tragic shooting. “I was here at work, Debbie (our boss) and I heard the news.” She spoke about having a sick feeling in her stomach after the announcement. She mentioned her views on banning war weapons in an attempt to stop school shootings, “We should have the right to bear arms but I don’t think war weapons should be easily accessible.” Trish also expressed to me how having her son already graduated made the concept of school easier for her. She talked about how when picking up her grandson she sees major advancements, “I would pick up my grandson and call ahead in the parking lot so they can get him ready and meet me outside of the school doors.”
While going around the school I got to interview our amazing teacher Ashlee. For those who might not have known, she was at Newtown high school on the day of the tragedy. She expresses that school security is limited due to financial reasons. I asked her about her views on war weapons being easily accessed and she said,“[banning] it will help control who has access to what and will make it harder to commit that kind of crime.” In regards to keeping the building vs community safe, she said, “Hmm, I feel like if I knew the answer to that question a lot of issues would be solved. I know who I am can have an impact on the people in this building but Individually, I don’t know how to make things safer.”
Also, I got the chance to speak with our school counselor Diana. With school security, Diana is glad there are more safety advocates along with security plans “…there are now safety advocates in every building, entryways have a second door security, all other doors are locked and the school has an emergency response plan.” When talking about her everyday work schedule, she works a lot with students and always makes sure everyone is okay. “It’s important to build strong connections with people so they can comfortably come to you and tell you something is out of the ordinary.”
ACE took part in the Say Hello program in the beginning of the school year and strives to make sure the voices of the families are heard and the attempts to strengthen our community and make schools safer