7th and 8th graders about it. School shootings were isolated incidents back then; not regular occurrences. I can't imagine how it would be to talk to second graders with the knowledge that it is no longer if, but as the new Boston Globe cover says, just when, where and who. I want to say my thoughts are with you, but I don't feel I can use that phrase any longer. So, you have my heartfelt empathy and gratitude, and hopefully that can buoy you up just a tiny bit.

Thanks, Amaryllis!

At the indoor track where I walk when it is too cold/ hot/ rainy to walk outside, on Thursday evenings there is a play session for young kids who look to be about 5-8. They are all "armed" with various play weapons that shoot a variety of harmless projectiles, and there are barriers to hide behind. There are usually close to a dozen kids there, mostly little boys. Given the recent surge in school shootings, It is pretty uncomfortable to watch the relish with which they shoot at each other.

Last night, there were only 5 kids there. I wondered if any of the parents were feeling at all uneasy about the activity, and decided to keep their kids away.

I know from posts on my social media that at least some parents are considering home-schooling in light of the gun violence. In my area of Florida, there was a drive-by shooting today outside of a high school and many (unfounded so far) alerts at other high schools.

...home schooling, but this could have done it. I am very relieved my sons are in their 20s and out of college.

posted this:

'Fellow school workers-How are we feeling about our lockdown drills if the person on the other side of that locked door has a machine gun and a vendetta? Budget proposal for machine gun-proof doors on all school classrooms?
Binders and folders are hard to come by but I feel like there's some budget space leftover.'

The worst part for me about this talk, was the great questions from my class:

What if the bad guy crawls through a window?

up, real vs fake?

My current school has many aware parents. My impression is that most of my students don't see much violence on TV. I come recently from other schools whose students are largely left in front of the TV or Youtube without much parental guidance. Most of my current students have never seen Facebook. That's not the case in my former schools.

The same day there was a staff meeting and I had to let the idiot principal know that all of our classroom doors only lock from the OUTSIDE! And only open "out" so they can't even be barricaded. This was the second principal that I had to inform about this little fact within a three year period. How safe are we...not VERY! Get rid of GUNS! The 2nd Amend was NOT written to serve the current technology and culture. Stop using it as an excuse gun enthusiasts. That was 250 years ago. They didn't even have two cans and a string to use to communicate!

March 14th, National walk out off school in protest of guns day. #ENOUGH
https://m.facebook.com/events/1767175080245694/?link_id=6&can_id=bfcadfa948ac07d9bf5b1038644acae5&source=email-enough-4&email_referrer=email_303063&email_subject=enough