Dear WRM Community,

It is gut-wrenching to write you yet another email today in response to a school shooting. My heart feels heavy as I think about the families impacted in Nashville, TN, and beyond. In reality, every family is affected when a school shooting occurs. Who among us doesn't immediately begin to reflect on whether it is safe to send their child/ren to school when something like this happens? I know these questions come up for me with the news of each school shooting: Is our school prepared if an active shooter arrives on campus?; Are we doing all we can to minimize that possibility?; Is there more we can be doing?

These are important questions to consider in the wake of ongoing school violence. Over the past year, WRM has done the following in order to address these concerns:

• Conducted a security assessment with Firestorm, a company recommended by the American Montessori Society (AMS) to its member schools 
• we actually scored very well on this assessment and have been given some areas to work on
  
• Followed our emergency drill practice schedule with fidelity as laid out in our Emergency Preparedness Plan
  
• Worked/working with Dallas Police Department on evaluating functional panic buttons across campus so anyone can call for emergency services in a time of crisis
• Contracted with our security company to upgrade our gate system so it will be closed during the day, with the exception for during car lines 
• once completed, families will use their individual codes to gain access to our campus and the gates will close behind them
• all visitors will use an intercom system to request access from the front desk; this system will have a camera included so the front office can see who is requesting access before opening the gate
  
• Installing a delivery box at the front gate over the summer; most of our visitors are delivery people from Amazon, FedEx, USPS. etc.
  
• Prioritizing infrastructure and security in our school's budget; this has been an ongoing conversation with the board over the past year and they are committed to enhancing our security in every way possible

I hope knowing this brings you a sense of peace during a time of senseless tragedy. Please know we take your child's safety, and that of our faculty/staff, very seriously at WRM and will continue to reflect on ways to minimize risk to the best of our ability.

Here are some resources provided by AMS to support your children during this time and some ways to get involved with advocacy for addressing gun violence in our country:

• Everytown
• March for Our Lives
• PBS Kids
• Sandy Hook Promise

In solidarity and with hope for change,

Connie

Connie Laufersky, M Ed (she/her)

Director, White Rock Montessori

1601 Oates Dr.

Dallas, TX 75228

214-324-5580 ext. 504

connie@whiterockmontessori.org