NARRAGANSETT REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
March 28, 2023
Dear Narragansett Parents and Guardians,
I am certain that many of you are aware of yet another senseless school shooting that took place yesterday in Nashville, Tennessee. In what has become a too familiar process, our National Superintendents Association (AASA) sent out a “template” letter for district superintendents to use or modify to assist in notifying their communities that the district is aware of the incident and “to assure you that the safety of our students is our top priority.” Although I wholeheartedly echo the assurances presented in the template, it is disturbing that such a template exists, and we have needed to use it.
In an effort to communicate the action steps that have been implemented, as well as our future efforts to increase school safety, I will present a comprehensive school safety update at our next regularly scheduled School Committee meeting, which will take place on April 5th.
I also want to alert the community that several schools across the Commonwealth received bogus "swatting" telephone threats this morning. For those who are unfamiliar, “swatting” is “the action or practice of making a prank call to emergency services in an attempt to bring about the dispatch of a large number of armed police officers to a particular address.” I want to assure our school community that our law enforcement partners are aware of these incidents and are prepared to respond if we receive a fraudulent threat.
We realize the importance of our responsibility to ensure that our students are emotionally safe both at home and school, as it relates to news about this shooting and other school related tragedies.
Please refer to guidance from the American Psychological Association for useful and practical help: http://www.apa.org/topics/violence/school-shooting.aspx If you have specific questions, please contact your child’s guidance counselor or building principal.
As a parent, I know that regardless of its thoughtful prose and assurances, a simple letter will not adequately alleviate your concerns. As the Superintendent, I am saddened by the possibility that many of our staff members and students may have been worried or anxious about coming to school today. Schools are intended to be safe and welcoming for students and staff members, and we are working as hard as possible to ensure that the Narragansett Regional School District continues to be just that.
Sincerely,
Dr. Christopher Casavant
Superintendent of Schools