Lakeland Schools: 'We Consider Safety Our Highest Priority'

Lakeland Central School District officials continue to consider safety to be their highest priority and will make psychologists, counselors and social workers available to students in the wake of the horrific elementary school shootings in Newtown, CT.

"We are all in shock as we watch the events at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut," district officials said in a statement. "Our deepest sympathy goes out to all affected by this tragedy."

In the statement, officials said they regularly review safety procedures with local authorities to ensure that the schools "continue to meet the highest safety standards."

"We are all dedicated to maintaining a safe school environment," the statement read.

As a safety precaution following the deadly shootings in Connecticut that shook the nation, Yorktown police have stepped up its presence at schools within the Yorktown and Lakeland school districts.

Lakeland district offered some suggestions on how parents can communicate with their children about the tragedy. Those include:

• Parents/Guardians should limit younger children's exposure to news or other media.  
• Children, especially young children, should be kept to routines and adults should try to maintain routines to the extent possible.  
• Allow students to express their feelings; it could be verbally, at play or through artistic means.  
• Parents/Guardians should validate their children's feelings.  
• Parents/Guardians should not force children to talk about this tragedy.  
• Parents/Guardians should be aware of their own feelings and how that could affect children. Try not to project your own anxieties on to children.
• Be aware of signs that children may be in distress: changes in behavior, anxiety, sleep problems, acting out.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to our neighbors in Newtown as they deal with this tragedy," Lakeland school officials said in a statement."

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