WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT are they thinking?

Question

I know this quewstion really does not belong in here but here me out and follow me on this.
I got a letter from my oldest boys school yesterday and what I read blow my mind.
Dear parents
You are all aware that Pittsville School District is committed to ensuring the health and saftey of each student and staff member. we have taken many measures over the past couple of years to secure our facility in an attempt to maintain this safety.
On Monday 05OCT07 we will be practicing a lockdown/introder drill at Pittsville Elem. School. During the drill members of the police department will be here and there will be simulated shooting. the police will bring in two actual shooters who will be shooting a powdered chalk ammunition at predetermined adult simulated victims.
then thye go on saying that the teachers are telling the kids not to be scared and don't worry about what is happening.
The city of Pittsville WI is about 800 and its a farm community. I feel that they are taking this to far

Sharia we are adults. We expect this kind of training they are kids 5-14 years of age. Are folks like you wanting some kids seeing this think its a game and then bring a weapon into school and think its a game? There drills are one thing taking a gun that shoots chaulk ammunition. If you have ever seen the Andy Griffith show Barney is what would be used to discribe the police force there. Think before you speak.

Answer 1

how much money are they spending on this? what a waste.
you are right, this is horrible.
you teach them the drills, we learned different drills while in school. teaching them the different drills and to follow teachers instructions is the important part, not armed chalk-gunmen.
I cant imagine a school needs to have armed chalk-gunmen running around the school shooting at staff to make its point. This sounds like a game to me.
I really dont get it, you have to be making this up.

Let put these ideas into their heads now...
This is worse than the media hyping up such horrific acts, the media you can turn off, but this is infusing childrens brains with BAD IDEAS and fear.

Answer 2

With the students in attendance? That's a bit out of the ordinary. At our school we do practice lock down drills for this sort of emergency and we make sure the students understand the importance of this. While I understand the local police need the practice, the students are not necessary. The school that I student taught at allowed law enforcement to come in and run a simulation, however, this was done during a long weekend with no students in attendance. I had to get work done that weekend, but I was instead taken hostage by the "shooter" as teams of county cops searched our corridors with assault weapons. I'll admit, it was pretty cool. Then again, I'm old enough to understand the drill.

Putting the stress on the students like that is pretty outrageous. Especially for elementary school students who are too young to really grasp the reality of the situation. I would get some parents together who agree with you, talk to the admin or the school board and let them know that there are other ways to training and that this could have a negative effect on your kids.

Answer 3

There are obviously 2 sides to this argument, if you have seen the recent Penn and Teller episode of BS then you know how dangerous and how out of control procedures like this can be. I would call the school as well as encourage other parents to call to discourage the school officials from allowing something this dangerous. The possible sheer histeria alone could get children killed and cost you 10's of thousands of dollars in repair. This is not to say that there should be a good safety plan in place but the last time this kind of drill was practiced there were several officers caught on tape pointing loaded firearms at innocent school children, would you want this happening to your kids or their friends.

Answer 4

I say the focus on the drill should be with the adults. Sounds to me that they are practicing using the children for more realism. The drill should be done without the children around, or at least with those who choose to be a participant. Was this drill discussed beforehand or just a surprise? I would keep the kids home that day. But, this could also be used a means to talk with your kids about safety and them telling you if they see or hear something potentially harmful.

Answer 5

I agree.
It's one thing to say this is a drill and go through the motions but this sounds like something else to me.
800 elementary students going this far in a drill is infreakinsane.
Let the media know and Ill bet it's changed.

when I was in Elm. school we had to do drop and cover drills but no one I know of made a flash. The teacher would tell us what was going to happen at a predetermined signal (usually a beep on the intercom) everybody jumped under their desk.
During fire drills we got up and left the building in an orderly fashion and assembled in front of the school.
they did not use fire or smoke to add reality.

Somebody over there is nuts.

Answer 6

I agree this is a bit much. In Blacksburg, Virginia, during the summer of 2006 a man broke out of police custody and killed a security guard and a sheriff's deputy. This locked the whole town down while they searched for him. They had SWAT teams and other agencies came and searched bulidings. One daycare right off the Virginia Tech campus was searched, which of course scared the children. Then the shootings happened on April 16 at Virginia Tech. I know one little boy at that daycare center who is in counseling because of the stressful year in Blacksburg. Now to make matter worse, one of his friends from daycare also died because the mother accidently left the child in the car.

I think you should keep your son home that day, and just discuss with him what to do during a situation like that. An exercise like that could really scar a child.

Answer 7

I'm with The Thing: boycott school that day. Get like minded parents to do the same. You don't need the school fear mongering your children. I don't see the benefit of a drill like this. In some ways, it might push potential offenders into committing an act like this. In all reality, the chances of being in an attack like that are so low that it's safe to ignore them, and instead keep an eye out for real indications that it might happen.

Answer 8

Sounds like they are taking it a little far. Drilling using simulated live ammo with the teachers who are adults is one. Doing it with kids that age is another thing.

It should be done when the children are not in school if they are going to use simulated live ammo.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

DO YOUR CHILDREN A GREAT FAVOR AND GET THEM THE H E DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS OUT OF THAT GOVERNMENT SCHOOL.THEY WILL CAUSE MORE TRAUMA TO THE KIDS THAN ANYTHING ELSE THEY MAY SEE ON TELEVISION.WHO EVER THOUGH THIS WAS A GOOD THING FOR THE KIDS NEEDS TO BE FIRED.AT LEAST YOU HAD A NOTICE,I WOULD KEEP MY KIDS HOME THAT DAY AND LET THE SCHOOL KNOW THAT WAS WHY.