Over the course of my tenure in the Ridgewood Public Schools, school safety has been the focus of several of my columns and numerous letters to parents. In recent years, I have outlined why we conduct school security drills, what measures we have taken to increase school security, and how our police practice “live” fire drills within our schools when students are not present. My thoughts returned to this critical issue after witnessing the powerful performance of “26 Pebbles” presented by the Ridgewood High School New Players this December. The one-act play tells the tragic story of the mass murder at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in which a young man with mental health issues senselessly took the lives of 20 children and six educators before killing himself. The students’ portrayal of issues surrounding this horrific event was incredible and brought to light the underlying fears they silently carry every day. During the same week that we presented “26 Pebbles” and recognized the anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, the media was flooded with news about another unfathomable shooting in Jersey City.
At the start of the holiday season, I find myself reflecting on the incredibly difficult reality facing our children today. First, I am very proud of our Ridgewood High School students who willingly took on the challenge of performing “26 Pebbles.” Not only did the students demonstrate their extraordinary talent on stage, but they also displayed their humanity during the audience and actor discussion following each performance. Because the topic of school violence is extremely difficult for educators, I found myself listening to the dialogue versus participating. The play was already quite emotional for me as an educator, yet the discussion portion was even more challenging to observe. What struck me was hearing our students voice the fear they have during drills. Their fear is real. We cause that fear because we are required to conduct two drills a month (one fire and one safety) since school shootings continue to occur on a regular basis. Causing fear is certainly not our intent. These drills are meant to preserve life in the event that our worst fears are realized, and I fully support having them.
While we must practice how to respond in various emergency situations, we also place great importance on the overall wellbeing of our students. Therefore, I have one request. I ask that parents reach out to us if you or your child is having difficulty during drills or at any time afterward. We have counselors on staff who can help. Unfortunately, these drills are now routine exercises, and there is no foreseeable end to these tragic events. But, as a community, we can open the conversation and provide support for our students and each other.
In a world where children wonder “is this lockdown real,” I am thankful that we have a community that permits a play like “26 Pebbles” to be presented at our high school and that we are willing to face real issues and discuss them courteously face-to-face. School violence is an issue of mental illness, access to weapons, and extreme rhetoric. As a community, we must move past the politics and come together when we see something that causes concern. Problems are not solved on social media or by spreading false information. We will not always agree with each other, but we must return to civil discourse to address issues and respectfully handle disagreements by going through the appropriate channels. It is not enough to teach responsible use of technology in the classroom; we must model this behavior and give children the tools to be effective communicators and problem solvers.
The story of “26 Pebbles” was one of tragedy and despair, but more importantly, I believe it was about compassion and the deep connections formed among family and neighbors to restore a devastated community. Let us learn from them. Together, we can stop violence before it happens, help our students understand why we must provide reasonable security, and educate them on the proper use of social media. During this holiday season, we have much to be grateful for and as a New Year’s resolution, we can pledge to put aside our differences and come together as a community to give our children the gifts of empathy, mutual-trust, and kindness.
Happy New Year! Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D., is Superintendent of the Ridgewood Public Schools. Dr. Fishbein can be reached at 201-670- 2700, ext. 10530, or via e-mail at dfishbein@ridgewood.k12.nj.us. For more information on the Ridgewood Public Schools visit the district website at www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us, the district Facebook page at www.facebook.com/RidgewoodPublicSchools, or follow us on Twitter @RwdPubSchools
Is Superintendent Fishbein, Doctor of Doctoring, paId by the word?
I believe so LOL
The phrase “Access to weapons”, buried in this word stew, are the only ones that mean anything. He is signaling his virtue on the gun control issue. He probably believes that children and firearms should never be in the same place, and if they are, the children should “shelter in place” until the spectre if “gun violence” passes from their midst. Which means he would probably never allow a teacher to carry a concealed weapon to protect themselves and their students. The obvious best plan for security must be rejected to preserve radical progressive social theory.
New decade…. Same old useless tool Fishbein.