Additional security, counseling will be on hand Monday at Olathe East

OLATHE, KS (KCTV) -- Students and staff will return to Olathe East on Monday for the first time since Friday’s shooting.

The district said that they will increase both security and counseling for those at Olathe East.

Below are messages from Olathe Schools Superintendent Brent Yeager and Olathe East principal Kerry Lane:

Message from superintendent:

In light of Friday’s events, I know many of us are still processing what occurred Friday morning and may have mixed feelings about returning to school or work this week. I want to take this opportunity to reach out and reiterate that the safety, along with the emotional wellbeing of our students and staff, is our top priority. While we hope and pray to never experience a situation like the one that occurred last week, our district has plans and procedures in place to ensure safe learning environments in all of our schools. The events at Olathe East were unimaginable, but I am so grateful that our safety procedures, including elements of ALICE, worked just as they were supposed to in order to prevent something far worse from occurring. I would encourage you to take a moment to familiarize yourself with the safety measures we already have in place as a district by reading this article on our district website.

In addition to the safety measures currently in place, we have planned for s at all buildings throughout the district this week. We will have counseling services available to all our students and staff who need extra , as well as additional law enforcement units visibly present to reinforce a sense of safety and security.

Most importantly, one of the greatest safety measures we have in place is the positive relationships between our students, staff and families that provide an open line of communication and safe place for community to come forward and share concerns when they arise. These trusted relationships allow our district and local law enforcement to react in a timely manner to address concerning situations.

I know many of you have questions about Friday. However, we do not have all the answers as this is an ongoing investigation. Right now, our main priority is focusing on moving forward together as a community. Our district has planned a Blue and Orange day this Wednesday, March 9, and I would encourage all our families and schools to participate to show your of Olathe East using #OneOlatheFamily on social media.

I have also received several messages from families asking what they can do to help. I truly believe the best thing we can do right now as a community is rally around our students and staff. Talk with your student about reporting concerns to district staff or law enforcement, listen to your student and help them process any feelings they may have, model appropriate behaviors and demonstrate healthy ways to cope with stress, and most importantly, if you see something, say something. Attached is an incredible resource from the National Association of School Psychologists that gives tips for talking with students about traumatic events.

While we cannot take away the hurt and fear from Friday, I know that as a community we can wrap our arms around one another and heal together. I am so grateful for our Olathe community and know that we can overcome anything together, stronger, as one Olathe family.

Sincerely,

Dr. Brent Yeager

Superintendent

Message from the Olathe East principal:

Olathe East students and families,

As we prepare to return to school Monday morning, I know many of us are still feeling the emotional impact from the events that transpired Friday and may be feeling anxious about school. I wanted to reach out to share our plan for this week to our students and staff. I have a lot of information to share, so please bear with me through this long email.

First, I want to express my deepest gratitude to our Hawk family for the way you responded to Friday’s events. I am so proud of our students and staff for the way they handled themselves in the midst of an unthinkable situation. It was one of the worst things that could happen in a school, but thanks to our safety protocols in place we were able to prevent a terrible situation from being far worse. From our heroic staff who intervened, to our strong staff who comforted students during a scary situation and our courageous students who handled themselves with grace and maturity as we worked to safely reunite them with their families - I have never felt more proud to be the principal of Olathe East.

We know that each member of our community is at a different place in processing Friday’s events. Please know that we are prepared to every student and staff member this week, no matter where they are. I also want you to know that we recognize there may be students who aren’t ready to return to school just yet, and that is perfectly normal. For those who do decide to return tomorrow, we have several plans in place to reinforce that school is safe and emotional s will be available.

Starting tomorrow, we will have additional law enforcement in our building as a reassurance for our students and staff that our building is safe and secure. A special thank you to the officer who has stepped up to serve as our full-time interim SRO while Officer Clark is recovering. We will also have additional counselors available to students who need extra care. There will be counselors and therapy dogs rotating throughout classrooms and hallways throughout the day, as well as full-time counseling staff available in our library for students who need more intensive one-on-one . These additional s will be available all week long.

In of how the day will look tomorrow, we have modified our schedule and all students will start the day in their academic /advisory class where we have planned a guided activity as a soft start to the day. We have informed our staff that our main priority tomorrow and this week is reestablishing a sense of comfort and safety among our students, so please be assured that all staff will offer grace, flexibility and understanding as it relates to academics, attendance and grades for students.

I know many of you have expressed concern about Dr. Stoppel and Officer Clark and I want to reassure you that they are both doing well, are back home with their families and are on the mend. They want to thank you all for your thoughts and prayers over the past several days. As a school community, we are planning a district-wide Orange and Blue Day this Wednesday, March 9, to show our for the Olathe East community. We will also have banners for students and staff to sign and write personal messages to Dr. Stoppel and Officer Clark throughout the week.

We have received an overwhelming number of calls and offers to provide various means of for our community. Thank you to all who have reached out. Unfortunately, we are unable to respond to all of these messages. If you reached out on Friday with an urgent need that requires a response, please reach out again as we are unable to review all messages from Friday. If you have a donation or offer of , please reach out to the Education Center at 913-780-7000. Finally, if you have a card you would like to send to Dr. Stoppel or Officer Clark, we are collecting all cards at the district’s Education Center (14160 Black Bob Rd.) to share with them.

If you need additional resources at home to speak with your child about crisis situations, please see the attachment. To learn more about the safety protocols we have in place, please visit our district website. While I know this week may be challenging for many, I also know that our Hawk family is strong and resilient. Please know that you can reach out to me at any time if you have questions or concerns.

Your Proud OE Principal,

Kerry Lane