Thoughts on Newtown

Dear WestCoast Community:

These past few days our thoughts have been with the children, families, and staff of Sandy Hook Elementary School, as well as the residents of Newtown, as they face the enormity of Friday’s aftermath.

We all feel impacted when the unthinkable and unimaginable happens. We may struggle to understand our own responses, along with the wide range of feelings our children may have. A great deal can surface, including the desire to search for answers to questions and concerns. To make sense of the incomprehensible.

We want to share with you some resources that we gave our WestCoast staff this morning. Perhaps you will find them helpful in some way.  Because of the sonic pace that news travels with social networking and mobile devices, some children may learn about the shooting in ways that we would not want. Hopefully these resources can help you respond to questions that children may ask.

In the days following last Friday’s tragedy, we want to reel our children in closer, whether they are 5 years old, or 15. Maybe we are reminded about what matters most as well as how clearly vulnerable we all are. For those children and families in and around Newtown, we send our love and strength.

Sincerely,
Stacey Katz

Resources: