Rich Henderson's Diary
The First 180 Days

Rich's Diary: School Safety: A Childhood Fantasy?

Week 32

Is there a Santa Claus? Do you remember the time when some type of childhood belief was dispelled as mere fantasy? I do. I was eight years old when I learned that Santa Claus was not a real person. I was crushed. I lived in a childhood fantasy that provided me with joy, happiness, and a sense of emotional security.

A feeling of security is vital for a child. Yet, the source of that security should not be based upon fantasy, but on the reality that exists within the child's family, friends, and school. Yet this week, I am left to wonder: Has the sense of security that children felt in coming to school been dispelled as another childhood fantasy?

"Mr. Henderson, are we safe here?" It was the most poignant and important question that a student has ever asked me. The student asked the question because of a bomb threat made at a nearby middle school. The middle school students were being evacuated to our school. As the evacuation was taking place, my students wanted to know what was happening. So we talked about it.

Talking with my class is one of the most enjoyable and rewarding aspects of being a teacher. At 10 and 11 years old, fifth-grade students know more about the world than many people may give them credit for. So in my class, we talk a lot. Over the past few months, we have had discussions about school violence and the recent events around the country. My students have been concerned about the issues of school violence but never appeared worried. Those things happened somewhere "far away." This week, the threat of school violence came too close to them.

The incident at the middle school prompted the above question from one of my students. As the student, a girl, asked the question, I noticed that her hands were tightly clenched and she was fidgeting nervously. However, it was the expression on her face that pierced my heart. Her face was filled with worry and her eyes focused intently on mine. Her expression told me that she could accept only one answer to her question. There had to be just one answer to that question. Yet I knew that no matter what I was going to say, she would have her doubts about my answer.

I said, "Yes, you aresafe here." As I watched her comprehend my answer, I noticed a deep look of sadness and disappointment. She wanted to believe me, but the reality of school violence had just shattered her belief that school was always going to be a safe place. It was as though a childhood fantasy was lost forever.

Some childhood fantasies are simply dispelled as children grow. That's acceptable. Yet, the notion that school safety is akin to a fantasy that is also dispelled as a child grows is unacceptable. Children should know that they are safe and will always be safe at school. How do we make that a reality?

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Rich Henderson
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