I'm sure you've all heard about the recent school shootings going on in our nation. I must admit that I wasn't feeling too concerned about my students or my own safety when the school year began, but I am feeling a bit uneasy about it now. I wasn't even worrying about it until this week. Over the weekend, the news station broadcasted that a student brought a gun to one of the school's in our county, and the administration in our school just confiscated a pellet gun from a student on Monday. I know it's only a pellet gun, but if they can bring that then who's to say they won't bring the real thing.
I also realized how truly vulnerable our school is during the day. Would you believe that I left the school to go to the post office, came back, and let myself in to one of the side doors that was UNLOCKED! I got chills when I opened it, because anyone could have walked right in to our school and no one would have known it.
We've also been told that we're going to have a "Code Red" drill sometime this week. So I've been explaining to all my classes that in the case of a "Code Red," they need to scrunch together in the corner of my room while I lock the door, shut off the lights, and close my blinds. I have a window in my door, so I have to make sure that none of my students are seen from that window. I tried this on one of my 7th grade classes yesterday; it was almost impossible to get them all together and not be seen. And they're supposed to be quiet on top of that. So now every time the intercom comes on my heart skips a beat!
I hate feeling like I'm not safe. I have so many other things to worry about while teaching and a gunman should not be one of those things. I know that God will protect me and He's with me wherever I go, but I just want to feel some peace about this. I'll be glad when we get this "Code Red" drill over with. Maybe then I'll feel like we've accomplished something in keeping our school safe.
4 comments:
My school actually had to use a Code Red a couple of years ago. One of our students had broken up with an obsessive older boyfriend who came to school with a gun in his Jeep. Fortunately, we had been warned by her parents about his erratic behavior, so we had the sherrif already there to deal with the situation. No one was hurt, but it was very frightening.
We had a lockdown drill this morning. Funny you should mention it...
It is a sad thing, and I hate that we have to be responsible for their safety in things like that.
I used to know all the good hiding places in the high school, and even joked that I would be in the pit under the stage if anything went wrong - the kids would fend for themselves...but with the 7 and 8 year olds I have now, things are little more scary.
The lockdown drill was difficult for us me as well because of the way our room is set up and windows and such. (You've seen it if you remember.)
Anyway, hang in there. Jesus will come back and take us away from it all one day.
Oh - btw, I also enjoy this new look.
I'm sorry that things have come to this. It just gives me one more reason to keep my children home and school them myself.
I pray that nothing bad like that ever happens to you.
Dad left today and Isaac cried all the way home from the airport. He kept asking Grandpa if he could come with him to Indiana. It was so hard not to cry. The kids had such a great time with him.
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