Saturday, April 27, 2013
The increase in security comes after the Newtown tragedy.
The Upper St. Clair School District's 2013-14 proposed final budget adopted on Monday includes a $64,000 increase to expand security personnel coverage in all schools, not just Upper St. Clair High School. The money is coming from the district's contingency fund. The Upper St. Clair School Board decided expanding the district's security was imperative following the Newtown tragedy. The increase includes the addition of the Raptor system to all schools, which requires visitors to provide their driver's license or other government approved photo ID. A visitor badge will be printed that contains both the visitor's photo and their destination in the building. The system also performs a sex offender background check against the registered sex …
Monday, February 4, 2013
The plans were sped up following the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT.
Visitors at the Upper St. Clair elementary and middle schools will have to go through a new sign-in procedure in an effort to increase security. A Raptor system, which has been implemented at the high school for the past several years, has been installed at each school, according to the Upper St. Clair School District website. There are no longer sign-in sheets for visitors. All visitors are required to provide their driver's licenseor other government approved photo ID. A visitor badge will be printed that contains both the visitor's photo and their destination in the building. The plans to install Raptor were sped up after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT. Raptor is "cutting-edge visitor management technology." The …
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
The program is founded in memory of Charlotte Bacon, a victim in the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Rep. Tim Murphy, of Upper St. Clair, says the underlying cause for tragedies like Newtown's is untreated or undertreated mental illness.
Following President Barack Obama's announcement on what he wants to see changed in the wake of the Newtown mass shooting, Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Upper St. Clair) issued the following statement: With the President’s policy recommendations now released, Congress can begin the legislative process of reviewing these proposals with a shared goal of preventing tragedies like Newtown from occurring again. I am approaching this effort with the seriousness the families of Newtown, indeed all families across the nation, deserve from their elected officials and will examine all aspects of the President’s recommendations. But the underlying cause in mass tragedies like Newtown is that the perpetrator had an untreated or undertreated mental illness. I had …
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
'Should we have armed security in any or all of the buildings?' asked Upper St. Clair School Director Harry Kunselman.
Upper St. Clair Superintendent Patrick O'Toole discussed security measures and changes in the school district on the one-month anniversary of the Newtown massacre. "There are some really difficult decisions on what school environment we will have. Obviously, we want a safe environment," O'Toole told school directors on Monday night. Currently the school district has two school police officers that "basically have the authority of municipal officers," according to O'Toole. There are also two additional part-time security officers. They have been "working more full-time recently." "We've had a bigger and expanded presence at the three elementary schools and two middle schools (than before)," O'Toole said. Plans have sped up to bring …
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
After the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Kirsten McGrath says it's more important than ever to be nice to others.
Kirsten McGrath is a wife, a mother, a professional baker and cake designer for The Pie Place, and she's sick of people being mean to each other. Instead of complaining, she and her three sons—Billy, Andy and Nathan—are doing something about it. "I am making it my Christmas mission to bring holiday cheer with me wherever I go and I am starting with my family! We are starting the 25 random acts of kindness for the month of December," Kirsten wrote on her blog. "Think how amazing the world could be if everyone tried just a bit everyday to be the person they always wanted to be." Each day, Kirsten and her boys—ages 2, 4 and 6—make sure to perform a good deed. So far they've stopped by the Upper St. Clair Volunteer Fire Department to drop off …
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
In the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary mass shooting, Dick's Sporting Goods also has removed all guns from the store closest to Newtown, CT.
In the wake of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, two major retailers are pulling the plug on sales of certain semi-automatic weapons nationwide. Dick’s Sporting Goods, one of the largest sporting goods retailers in the world, has suspended sales of some semi-automatic rifles from all stores. The company, which is headquartered in Moon Township, also has removed all guns from its chain closest to Newtown, CT. In a statement, the store said it ordered the move out of respect for the victims and families of Newtown. Friday’s shooting left 20 children, all between the ages of 6 and 7, and six adults dead. “We are extremely saddened by the unspeakable tragedy that occurred last week in Newtown, CT, and our hearts go out to the …
Teachers met before class began.
The Upper St. Clair School District reviewed its security procedures and added layers of security following the tragic school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. "Every educator in America was uneasy today," Superintendent Patrick O'Toole said Monday. "We all feel somewhat vulnerable." The staff in each district building met before class on Monday morning to review safety measures and help the teachers prepare for questions students may ask them. O'Toole sent out two emails to parents after the massacre on Friday. He said he sent out the information that he would want to know as a parent, including information about how to talk to your children about the incident. "The tips we send out are the same tips I have to employ as a parent," he said…
Sunday, December 16, 2012
The school district has reviewed safety protocols.
Upper St. Clair Superintendent Patrick O'Toole emailed another letter to local parents and guardians on Sunday: Dear Parents and Guardians: Before we return to school on Monday, I want you to know that the school staff will have met to discuss plans for addressing the needs of students and staff resulting from the horrific event in Connecticut on Friday. We will have also reviewed with the staff how best to address questions or concerns of students in a developmentally appropriate manner. It is important to remember that despite this recent tragedy, schools remain very safe places for children. The district has also reviewed security protocols. At USC, we have dedicated a great deal of resources toward student and staff safety. In …
Many schools have security guards and metal detectors—but should they go a step further, as Butler School District did this week?
The Aurora, CO theater in July, the Wisconsin Sikh Temple in August, the Oregon Mall earlier last week—and the mass shooting in Newtown, CT on Friday. This year has been numbing in terms of America dealing with multiple deaths in public places. The blaming game has already started with such political and religious "hot potatoes" as gun control, lack of prayer in the schools, inadequate access to mental health care, lack of parental control, breakup of American families, etc. According to Mother Jones, an independent news organization that features investigative and breaking news, there have been at least 62 mass shootings in America in the last 30 years—and most of the killers got their guns legally. Of the 139 guns possessed by the …
Larry Gander
3:10 pm on Sunday, April 28, 2013
About time ....... more ›