Derby school students and staff sheltered in place for a short time Wednesday as police investigated a “possible” Facebook post referencing city schools.
Dr. Matthew Conway notified the community of the situation at about 9:36 a.m., saying in an email received by The Valley Indy that no one would be allowed into Derby schools as police investigated.
At 10:20 a.m. the superintendent sent a message saying all was well as police found no credible threat.
The Derby incident happened as schools across the region returned to classes less than 24 hours after the latest school shooting. This time it was Uvalde, Texas, where (as of 1 p.m. May 25) 19 students and two teachers were killed by a gunman.
The Derby Board of Education has a standing Student Health and Safety subcommittee that meets regularly to talk about safety issues within the district, from security cameras to communication.
Social media was filled with posts Tuesday night with people wondering whether the U.S. would ever get a handle on its epidemic of violence. Parents Wednesday had to shield younger children from the morning news before sending kids to school.
School district leaders in the Valley acknowledged the tension in the air Wednesday through messages sent to the school community.
“Some students who may have heard about this tragedy may feel nervous or apprehensive about coming to school. It’s not a bad thing to talk about being safe at school with your child. Children need to be able to talk about such things and feel they are being heard,” a message from Seymour Public Schools Superintendent Susan Compton read. “If your child feels nervous while in school please let them know they can talk to their: teacher, school nurse, school counselor or their respective Principal. We will provide support to any students and staff who reach out to us.”
“We constantly train, plan and practice with our Seymour Emergency Services Departments to make sure we are taking all necessary precautions to keep our Seymour Schools a safe place for our students and staff. Chief of Police John Bucherati has assured us that an extra police presence will be at our schools for the next several days as a precautionary measure,” the message said.
Compton added: “Our teachers have all gone through intense realistic emergency response training to an active armed intruder situation. Teachers have been trained on how to run, hide, barricade and fight back to protect our students.“
In Ansonia, Superintendent Joseph DiBacco also said there were more police officers paying attention to schools on Wednesday.
“The tragedy that took place yesterday in Uvalde, Texas has emotionally impacted all of us. Counseling staff will be available to support students in all our schools. Also, the Ansonia Police Department will be present in all our schools,” he said. “Please visit the National Association of School Psychologists for information on tips for parents and teachers on talking to children about violence.”
Letter to Connecticut Superintendents - Uvalde Texas School Shooting by The Valley Indy on Scribd
