Mary Ann Bell sent a letter out to the community addressing safety and security in the district
I stand with all of Burlington Township as our hearts go out to the families of Parkland. As a proud member of this community and a parent, I understand the concern, fear and disbelief that we all feel. Protecting our students has been at the forefront of our mission in Burlington Township for the thirteen years I have served here. I want to assure my fellow Burlington Township parents that your children’s safety remains our highest priority and very personal to me.
In Burlington Township we enjoy very good relationships with our first responders, especially the Burlington Township Police Department. The district leadership and the first responders regularly meet to discuss issues regarding safety and security. The district has an internal response and process improvement team, Team Guardian. All Burlington Township Schools conduct drills multiple times every school year. Our district is committed to our students, staff and visitors safety.
Undoubtedly, there will be many questions over the next days and weeks. Answers to these questions will fall short of our expectations. After all, there really is no answer to the senseless loss of young lives. Still, we must remain vigilant in our pursuit of safety in our schools. We will not rest on what we have accomplished. We will not stop with what we have already put in place to protect our children. We will continue to reflect on what else we can do. We will continue to work with our first responders. We will face these hard topics and pursue them understanding that turning a blind eye while we strive for safety for our children is not something we will accept. We will remain diligent in our efforts. We will remain a caring community in Burlington Township.
Our theme this year is “The Power of Optimism.” Yes, even during times like these, as I worry about all of our children, I believe in the power of optimism. We simply cannot accept to live in fear. While we may not be able to control what happens, we can choose to control how we respond to what happens. We can choose to help our children.
Helping our children learn to cope with such tragedy is a daunting task for any parent. As a community, we have graduated the last class that was born prior to Columbine. Unlike their parents, our children have grown up in a world where everyday activities could be cut short by mindless violence. Our children may be exposed to countless hours of media coverage on the topic showing and describing intense situations. As parents we often feel lost in trying to help our children process such events especially as we are trying to process those events ourselves. The most important thing we can do is to engage them in conversation and listen without judging. As we have learned from working with students experiencing grief, all of their processing may not come quickly after the event. Your child may exhibit fear or anxiety weeks or months after and will need your help as much then as now. Even more challenging for parents is that children today tend to seek out peers instead of trusted adults. Just because your child is not talking to you about these events does not mean they are not thinking about them or talking to others. Take control and be a supportive part of your child’s conversation.
The most important part of any school safety program is and will always remain a diligent community that takes notice and shares information with the authorities. Do not be deterred by the news coming out of Florida about prior warnings. After all, in a world where we can only control our own actions, why remain silent? Do not allow the negativity that will assuredly come from all the analysis be what defines us as a community. Actively choose to continue to be the most important part of our safety plan!
With sincerest thoughts of safety,
Mary Ann Bell
