If you're not local, you may not have heard...even though it made national news.
Police have received an anonymous threat that there will be 20 kids shot in five different schools in our county, and one county over on Monday, April 15.
Police have stressed many times that they believe this to be a hoax (and for the record, I think it's a hoax as well,) but everyone is still taking the threat very seriously. Unfortunately, we don't have another choice these days.
So on Friday, my school ran through our Code Red drill again, just in case. We've been having these drills monthly since the tragedy in Sandy Hook, but today's was different.
Up until now, my kinders haven't had too terribly much to say about these drills.
I've explained in the most child-friendly way why we do these drills, and they all understand.
They've occasionally made comments about it.
But today, there were more questions.
Today there was a discussion.
Today I took 20 minutes out of my instructional time to talk with them.
On the floor.
In the dark.
Huddled up together.
Still in our Code Red positions.
"I know this is practice...but what would happen if a bad guy brought a knife and cut the door open?"
"What if a bad guy brought a gun?" (I've never mentioned guns throughout any of these drills, in an effort not to scare them...they're babies, after all.)
"Where would you be if there was a Code Red for real, Mrs. Miller?"
"What if someone tried to shoot us?"
"What if the bad guy got a key and got in our classroom?"
"Would you call the police to come and save us?"
And then here was the kicker.
"My mom said I can't come to school Monday because there's a guy that's gonna bring a gun and shoot us."
To which I promptly and firmly replied, "No. That will NOT happen."
And another little girl, so innocently, so sweetly said, "Why would a bad guy want to come into our school and hurt little kids?"
Oh honey...
I don't know.
I don't know why someone would ever want to do a horrible thing like that.
I fought back tears as I explained that sometimes there are people who do bad things to other people, even though they know they shouldn't. And that I would do whatever I could to keep them safe if something like that were to ever happen. Because that's my job. And because I love them. But then I stressed that I don't think that something like that will ever happen here. Ever.
Just like I tell them that I don't think our school will ever really catch on fire. But we practice just to be safe...just in case.
And while I do believe this is a hoax, and I do believe we'll all be completely safe come Monday evening...
You can bet your rear end that my door will be locked tight all day. And that my walkie-talkie will never leave my side.
Because I do love those little kids.
And I will do whatever I can to keep them safe, and make sure they return home to their parents that night.
xoxo, wife.
Police have received an anonymous threat that there will be 20 kids shot in five different schools in our county, and one county over on Monday, April 15.
Police have stressed many times that they believe this to be a hoax (and for the record, I think it's a hoax as well,) but everyone is still taking the threat very seriously. Unfortunately, we don't have another choice these days.
So on Friday, my school ran through our Code Red drill again, just in case. We've been having these drills monthly since the tragedy in Sandy Hook, but today's was different.
Up until now, my kinders haven't had too terribly much to say about these drills.
I've explained in the most child-friendly way why we do these drills, and they all understand.
They've occasionally made comments about it.
But today, there were more questions.
Today there was a discussion.
Today I took 20 minutes out of my instructional time to talk with them.
On the floor.
In the dark.
Huddled up together.
Still in our Code Red positions.
"I know this is practice...but what would happen if a bad guy brought a knife and cut the door open?"
"What if a bad guy brought a gun?" (I've never mentioned guns throughout any of these drills, in an effort not to scare them...they're babies, after all.)
"Where would you be if there was a Code Red for real, Mrs. Miller?"
"What if someone tried to shoot us?"
"What if the bad guy got a key and got in our classroom?"
"Would you call the police to come and save us?"
And then here was the kicker.
"My mom said I can't come to school Monday because there's a guy that's gonna bring a gun and shoot us."
To which I promptly and firmly replied, "No. That will NOT happen."
And another little girl, so innocently, so sweetly said, "Why would a bad guy want to come into our school and hurt little kids?"
Oh honey...
I don't know.
I don't know why someone would ever want to do a horrible thing like that.
I fought back tears as I explained that sometimes there are people who do bad things to other people, even though they know they shouldn't. And that I would do whatever I could to keep them safe if something like that were to ever happen. Because that's my job. And because I love them. But then I stressed that I don't think that something like that will ever happen here. Ever.
Just like I tell them that I don't think our school will ever really catch on fire. But we practice just to be safe...just in case.
And while I do believe this is a hoax, and I do believe we'll all be completely safe come Monday evening...
You can bet your rear end that my door will be locked tight all day. And that my walkie-talkie will never leave my side.
Because I do love those little kids.
And I will do whatever I can to keep them safe, and make sure they return home to their parents that night.
xoxo, wife.
Love you
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