Hello parents,
This is James Evans with Rutherford County Schools, and we want to remind you that students return to school tomorrow, Tuesday, April 4.
We’ve had a productive day getting ready for students and reinforcing our safety procedures, and we thank you for giving us that time.
We have been preparing for these types of situations for many years, and our partnership with the sheriff’s office and the School Resource Officer program has been used as a model for others in Tennessee and beyond. But there’s always room for improvement, for re-evaluation and for refinement, and we have spent today on those tasks.
We will continue to make adjustments moving forward, and our school board has plans to continue to find ways to invest in improved safety measures. The state of Tennessee today also announced the availability of additional funds for safety programs, and we will be pursuing those opportunities as well.
Tomorrow, we know some students will have questions. As a district, we will be prepared to discuss this topic with students in the following ways:
- Teachers in grades K-5 will not bring up the subject but will be ready to respond to student questions or comments. The response will be to acknowledge what happened without going into detail, reassure students that they are safe at school, and keep normalcy and routine in place throughout the day.
- The event will be addressed in the morning at the middle and high school levels, followed by a brief statement from the principals. There will be limited time for appropriate discussion, with the same emphasis on reassurance and keeping the day's routine.
- At all levels: educators will monitor students who express concern or who are having difficulty processing. If parents believe their child is having difficulty processing the news, they should contact their school counselor or psychologist.
We appreciate you parents, and for allowing us this day to be prepared for students after last week’s horrific event in Nashville. Please know that the safety of your children, and our employees, is always the top priority for our schools.
Thanks for all that you do, and we’re ready to get back to school.