Dear Pine Bush parents,

Given the horrific reports in Parkland, Florida last week many Pine Bush students, staff and parents have expressed concerns about the safety of our schools. Even more alarming, the Washington Post has reported that school shootings have averaged one per week so far in 2018. None of us wants this to become the “new normal.” That’s why the leaders of your schools and of our district share in this heightened sense of vigilance.

Over that past week, we have received numerous reports and rumors, all of which we have investigated. That is our protocol. We cannot share information with you due to privacy concerns, but you certainly can share information with us, and we want you to. In fact, the most valuable thing you can do is bring your concerns to our attention. Our motto continues to be – “if you see something, say something.” When a concern proves credible, we immediately engage our local police agencies, with whom we have excellent relationships. Just two weeks ago, Chief Dominick Blasko of the Town of Crawford Police Department sponsored a conversation among a variety of local and state law enforcement officials along with myself and the district’s head of security. We have been and will continue to be vigilant. Student and staff safety remains priority one in Pine Bush.

Sometimes, in fact most often, we have found these reports to be unfounded, yet they have continued to be spread through social media. Fretting and spreading rumors via social media is not productive, particularly when posting the names of specific students. Facebook has no investigative powers, but it does have the power to fan the flames of fear and innuendo. So during this time of heightened concern, I ask that adults and students continue to alert us of their concerns. I also ask that you trust us to investigate and respond, understanding that we can’t always tell you what we find out.

Finally, I want to share some resources that you might find helpful when trying to talk to your children about the sad reality of mass shootings that are so terribly upsetting:

• Talking to children about tragedies (such as shootings and terror attacks) in the news
  https://www.schoolcrisiscenter.org/resources/talking-kids-about-tragedies/
• Talking to children about school shootings. (from the American Psychology Assoc.)
  http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/qf/crisis_qt/APAshooting.pdf
• Responding to a Crisis at School
  http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/crisis/crisis.pdf

Together we can get through this, and by working together, we can create the most effective and valuable shield to protect our children.

Tim Mains, Superintendent