Dear Members of the Community:

As I look out my office window this morning and see the beauty of the falling snow, is it unfathomable to think of the tragedy that unfolded in Newtown, Connecticut last Friday. It causes all of us to want to hold our loved ones just a little closer. It also causes us to want to take some tangible action to show our support and sympathy to the community of Sandy Hook Elementary School and to reassess our own school's precautions and emergency plans.

The administrators of SAD 28 and Five Town CSD are inviting members of the community to make a financial contribution from our communities to the Newtown School District, to be used as they find most appropriate at this unimaginable time. Donations can be dropped off at the main offices at Camden Rockport Elementary School, Camden Rockport Middle School, or Camden Hills Regional High School. Checks may be made out to Five Town CSD. Donations will be sent to the Newtown School District on Friday of this week.

Tomorrow, our counselors will be available for any staff, students or community members who need assistance or information about available resources. Our administrators and staffs will continue an ongoing review of each school's emergency plans. In October, we held two meetings to update each school's Emergency Plan, and to review each plan with the police and fire departments of Camden and Rockport, as well as Knox County Emergency Management to seek their advice and input. We had a planned training to review potential disaster scenarios, and have scheduled that training for January. As part of our ongoing planning, each school periodically holds unannounced drills, including evacuation, stay put, or lock down drills.

Many resources have been made available through the news media to help parents think about how to talk with and reassure their children. Please know that our counselors and staffs stand ready to assist you, even as we try to cope with our own sense of deep sadness and shaken sense of security. I heard this weekend, and unfortunately cannot recall the source to give appropriate credit, that when tragedy happens, look for the helpers. Each horrific event always brings out people who come forward to help in many and varied ways. The sure knowledge and reassurance that good people step forward to help in terrible times is a gift we can impart to our young folks in this season.

Sincerely,

Elaine Nutter