Dear Newton-Conover Employees, Families, and Friends, 

     Just like you, I am broken-hearted over the mass shooting that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut Friday morning. It is impossible to understand how any human being could kill innocent children. Such evil leaves us numb and speechless, and causes grief and pain for years to come.

As a father and grandfather, and as a school superintendent whose first responsibility is to do all we can to keep your children safe, I want to assure you that we have good practices in place, and will continue to review our procedures to be sure we are doing everything possible to maximize safety.

     All of our schools have school safety plans which are reviewed and revised annually, based on advice from various experts including law enforcement, fire and safety officials, and other experts in the field. Principals and teachers review their plans and are prepared to respond. Sadly, however, even with the best training, none of us can guarantee absolute safety. We can do our very best, and we can all partner together as a united group, doing all we can to keep our children out of harm’s way.

     As you discuss this with your children, please know that we stand ready to assist you with our counselors if needed, along with other caring staff. Like you, we will watch closely in the coming days for any signs of emotional difficulty among our children, and will respond as needed. You are a valuable partner with us in constantly looking for ways to improve our ability to insure safety for all. This includes assisting us with check- in procedures at each school, and by alerting us to any information you may hear or read regarding any threat or situation considered dangerous.

     We will continue to place resources on our website that might assist you in talking with your children, and in finding ways to increase safety likelihood, both at home and away from home. Meanwhile, I hope you will join me in keeping the families of Newtown, Connecticut in our thoughts and prayers.

                                                                                                     Sincerely,

                                                                                                     Dr. Barry Redmond
                                                                                                     Superintendent