Reflections on Safety after Colorado Shooting from the Head of School

From the Desk of Eric Niles, Head of School

My son and I went to see the latest “Batman” movie this week (not a midnight showing mind you, but a daytime one). I thought I was calm as I sat in the theater until the credits were rolling and an emergency exit at the front of the theater abruptly opened. I was startled to attention yet quickly realized that patrons were simply using that as an exit after the movie. I exhaled. If I was unnerved by the happenings in Colorado last week then I have to believe that our children may be very uneasy and looking to us for guidance and care. While this latest shooting didn’t occur at a school, all educators quickly recall Columbine and other school violence and we pray that it never happens under our roof and to our kids. I am no exception. Please know that we take the care and safety of all Athenian students as our highest priority and we will quickly respond to any warning signs that might surface in our community. As you process this with your kids, we thought you might appreciate some resources about how to talk to them about this violence. This one comes from the national PTA and links to a variety of other sources: Education Week’s K-12 Parents and the Public. Hope you are all doing well and we look forward to connecting again in a very short time.