SIMSBURY, Conn. — Story by Nathan Cournoyer, Jack Sherman, Vaughn Marecki
In light of the recent shooting in Michigan, Simsbury High School is doubling down on its measures to keep students safe in the event of an attack.
Attendance was scarce on Friday, December 17th, due to threats spread nationwide over TikTok.
“I do feel safe here. I know people in the police department and I know some people in the fire department," said Kevin McElligott, a student at the school. "They're good at what they do. They do their job well, so I think anyone here, they don’t have anything to fear.”
“I think all the teachers were very good about it as well.," said Jay Tunara, a SHS student. "Like, they were very secure in talking about how we should be protective and teachers gave explanations on what we would do in case someone was in the building.”
Facing an empty classroom, many teachers voiced their frustration and concerns about the threats. “It was a very eerie day. The fact that there were so many students not present, I think, contributed to the angst and concern of the students that were here,” said Adrian Durlester, a teacher.
“In one of my classes we were doing a robotics lab, and with only about half of the students there, when the rest of them came back on Monday, I essentially had to repeat that lesson and have a differentiated option for the kids who already finished the lab,” said James Compton, a Technology & Engineering teacher.
Thankfully, the Simsbury Police Department is prepared to protect students in case of an emergency. “As a member of the Simsbury Police Department, we're going to go to great lengths to make sure everybody in this school is safe at all times. I try to keep having an open door and a great relationship with the student body, as well as security and the staff here. I think, everybody working together, we continue to make this a completely safe place for school," said Officer Trevor Brittel, School Resource Officer.
Though gun violence continues to devastate schools across the country, students in Simsbury can rest easy knowing that their administration is ready to protect them.
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