"All right, children. Everyone file out of the room into the hall. Be very quiet. Now, children, I want you to line up against the wall in a single line. When I call your name, say 'Here' nice and clear. Brent Abrahamson."
"Here."
"Billy T----"
"Here..." And on through the entire class roster.
"Children, we're going to do just as we practiced yesterday. Everyone sit on the floor. Now, pull your knees up. Put your hands at the back of your head. Lock your fingers. Close your arms and lower your head to your knees. Now don't move until I say ' Okay.' ... and 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. All right, children. You did very, very well. Now, let's go back into the classroom."
As we children walked home from Eastford Road School in Southbridge, we wondered why we had to do that thing in the hall every day. We noticed that the adults seemed to have worried looks quite a bit lately.
Our conversation was interrupted by that eerie sound that we were hearing every day. It sounded like the siren on the fire trucks only much louder. It had a sound that could really scare you if your parents hadn't told you it was nothing to worry about if it came at 3:30. They were just testing it. If it came at another time, we should come right home. If we were close to the school, though, we should go there.
We were 10 years old and used to not understanding lots of things adults told us to do. We did not know about the crisis. We did not know that down in Cuba some Soviet missiles were being aimed at the United States. We didn't know we could be in danger.
But we did know that we had to do what we were told.
And we knew that the adults loved and cared for us.
And that was enough.
C2012
Brent,
ReplyDeleteMy Mom tells us stories such as this also, they were known as air-raid drills. But here is a question I have for the School District, I know in the past they would do drills at least at the HS with the kids and first responders for attacks such as what took place at Columbine, Virginia Tech, and now Sandy Hook. Now does the School District do this kind of drill at the elementary level? What kind of plan does the this District have for the Special Needs kids, because some of them will not understand what is going on, then some of them will have hard time staying quiet, staying still and staying hidden. Some of these kids are not ambulatory what is the plan for these kids? I really dislike the fact that I am thinking of this because of the horrific tragedy at Sandy Hook (not that any of the school related shooting are not horrific). But these kids were just babies and they have yet learned of the evil in the world. But now as a parent I have to wonder do we need to subject our youngest children to drills such as this? If so how can it be done without instilling fear in them? I would think every school and every parent across this country is thinking and feeling the same.
LeAnn,
DeleteI believe that your questions will be answered as The Sandy Hook tragedy was a tipping point in our society.
The dialog that you suggest must take place. And I believe that it will, not only in Southbridge, but all across the nation.