Brewster Schools Examining Security After Sandy Hook Tragedy

Administrators with the Brewster Central Schools are slated to gather Monday afternoon to discuss possible changes in security following the school shooting that left more than two dozen dead in Sandy Hook Friday.

The meeting is intended to be a "debriefing" of sorts for principals and other administrators who are expected to share thoughts on beefing up safety procedures. Officials said they would release specifics on any changes once they are available, as the discussion will be an "ongoing" one.

"We're in listening mode now, we're taking it all in," Board of Education President Dr. Steven Jambor said Monday morning.

Jambor, along with Deputy Superintendent Tim Conway and Superintendent Dr. Jane Sandbank, visited each of the district's four buildings Monday morning to get a sense of the mood amongst faculty, staff and students.

"At JFK, you couldnt tell anything was different," Jambor said, adding that the energy there—from the district's youngest students—was "good." 

Things were a bit different at the high school, where some of the kids were "serious and somber."

"They're figuring out ways to appropriately respond and show support," Jambor said.

Teachers were prepared to deal with those feelings, as principals met with instructors early Monday morning and "laid out the game plan," Jambor, a psychologist, told Patch. Part of the plan was remembering that "there is no perfect response" when students ask about the tragedy.

"Your best approach is to show them that business is carrying on," he said, adding that teachers were aware of other age-appropriate responses for kids who may have been feeling some anxiety. 

That anxiety is something school officials are aware of. They took it into consideration when giving the OK for the school resource officer (SRO), a deputy with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office who is usually stationed at the high school, to spend some time at JFK Monday.

"Children in buildlings that don't have an SRO could start to wonder," he said. "We're walking a fine line between trying to be proactive and alarming."