 |
|
by Tim Pugmire
April 20, 2000
|
RealAudio 3.0 |
Several Minnesota schools are marking this week's anniversary of the tragedy at Colorado's Columbine High School. The shooting deaths of 14 students and a teacher one year ago sent a shockwave throughout the country, and school administrators say they're still feeling its effect. Some local schools are taking extra steps this week to make their students feel safe and appreciated.
There are more than 2,100 students in 10th through 12th grades at Stillwater High School. It's hard to imagine someone slipping undetected into the large, modern building. A guard stops and questions anyone entering the parking lot. Uniformed police officers and security guards are stationed inside the front lobby. Other doors are kept locked.
"I think there are enough students who have concern about their safety period that it's worth doing it, " says parent Cindy Gilpin, who was keeping watch at a seldom-used back entrance. "Personally I don't feel a great need for this to be done, but given the comments that I have received through my own son about kids feeling a little bit insecure about Thursday in particular, I thought I'd help my administration do what they plan to do here."
The lessons from Columbine go beyond the need for guarded doors. Schools are also putting more emphasis on the need for teachers to know their students better and for students to accept all of their classmates. Students who've turned violent in Colorado and other parts of the country were often described as "outsiders."
At Tartan High School in Oakdale, students organized "Peace Week" activities in conjunction with the Columbine anniversary. Principal Clete Lipetzky says Tartan students have been working hard the past year celebrating their differences. "When we have an opportunity, what you call a teachable moment, whether you're a parent, or an employer or a teacher, you have to make the most of it," Lipetzky says. "Our kids are very sincere in what they're doing here. They really know that it makes a difference when people are alerted to that fact that you need to be kind and to respect others."
Other schools plan quieter observances or none at all. At Anoka High School, student leaders are planting a Colorado spruce tree as a memorial. Officials in the state's largest school districts, Minneapolis and Saint Paul, say they'll let the date go by without acknowledgement.
The Columbine tragedy has left a permanent mark on every public school in Minnesota. The events prompted state legislators last year to mandate extensive safety plans for every district. Nancy Riestenberg, violence-prevention specialist, with the Department of Children, Families and Learning says every superintendent and principal in Minnesota has had to work hard on keeping their buildings safe and reassuring parents and students.
"One of the challenges with Columbine is as tragic as it was, it gave people the perception schools are unsafe," Riestenberg says. "You have more likelihood of being struck by lightening than being shot at school. The perception of schools as being an unsafe place does not really match the reality."
State education officials last fall developed a Model Crisis Management Plan for local school districts to use as a guideline for responding to emergencies ranging from shootings to tornadoes. Local school officials have until July 1st to have their own detailed plans in place.
© 2026 | Home : Terms of Use : Your Privacy RightsRadio Listening : News & Features : Events Calendar : Your Voice : About Us