Deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history: What do we tell kids?

The suspected assasilant is a former student at the school, Nikolas Cruz, 19, who reportedly was expelled last year.

Dear MCS Families,

Since learning of the tragic events yesterday in Broward County, I have been in this internal struggle with whether it was appropriate to reach out to you. I don’t want to appear reactive and, at the same time, acknowledge that each of us has strong emotions and potential questions that naturally come up as we consider the safety and security of our children and schools. I hate typing these words as much as you hate reading them; I just have to acknowledge these words are real in the lives of our students, staff, and families.

I offer the following as an attempt to anticipate the conversations that might be occurring in your home and our classrooms in the coming days.

How do I talk with my child about the school shooting in Florida?

According to the American Psychological Association, “Psychologists who work in the area of trauma and recovery advise parents to use the troubling news of school shootings as an opportunity to talk and listen to their children. It is important, say these psychologists, to be honest. Parents should acknowledge to children that bad things do happen, but also reassure them with the information that many people are working to keep them safe, including their parents, teachers and local police.”

For younger children, be mindful of media exposure – research has shown that television replay often shown on the news may be misunderstood by a young child to be different events. For our older children, especially those with access to social media, they may be bombarded with messages and emotions and benefit from a conversation with a parent or educator to process their reaction to such situations.

What is Marietta City Schools doing to protect our children and staff?

We have a close working relationship with Marietta Police Department and, as I trust our students and staff would acknowledge, we have officers frequently leading various proactive educational programs in our schools. As many of you may recall, the City of Marietta has hosted "active shooter" seminars throughout the community, including those at Marietta High School. In partnership with WellStar Kennestone Hospital, MPD is hosting a "What You Do Matters" seminar Feb. 26. (Go here for details.) Also, particularly for our high school students, our Student Life Center has been proactive in identifying social-emotional needs of students and providing therapy and support.

We can and will do more. As I watch the media coverage and reflect on our opportunities, I commit to you that we will be reflective on how we improve preparedness, emergency response, and reunification efforts. I never want your child or mine to be involved in any such dynamics and, at the same time, we all must have confidence in one another that we have prepared and practiced to keep our schools safe.

What can I do to help?

First, love on your child and encourage them to share their emotions and any concerns they have about their safety or the safety of others.

Second, over-communicate with our MCS staff. Experts and media will often talk about the warning signs after a tragedy; we need to be having the same conversation before such events so we can empower those who are in positions to prevent it.

As my wife left for work today she said, “Hug our kids extra tight this morning.” We want to make today as normal as possible for all our children – their innocent young lives deserve as much. At the same time, I want to do our part as a community to be proactive and informed.

Sincerely,

Grant

Grant Rivera

Superintendent

Marietta City Schools