Is Anyone Safe at School Anymore?
Is Anyone Safe at School Anymore?
With heavy hearts, we grieve with and pray for the community of Parkland, Florida. In the last two weeks, there have been almost half a dozen bomb threats at our local schools causing evacuations and closings. Many parents are asking, Is anyone safe at school anymore? Is my child safe at Mansfield Christian?
Ensuring that the right security measures are in place is typically the first place we start when it comes to school safety. Like many schools, Mansfield Christian has installed cameras at the entrances and visitors must have the door unlocked electronically by school personnel once they are identified. The doors are locked soon after school begins each day, we practice evacuation drills and active-shooter scenarios (lock-down), we use security advisors from our local law enforcement agencies, and we have a well-documented Crisis Response Manual that is on file with local authorities and the ODE in Columbus.
Yet, the issues that cause these tragedies in schools can be more complicated than increasing security measures. Consider these comments from an exasperated teacher in Parkland, FL: “Until we, as a country, are willing to get serious and talk about mental health issues…lack of discipline in the home, the horrendous lack of parental support…lack of moral values…violent video games that take away all sensitivity to ANY compassion for others’ lives…we will have a gun problem in our school.”
In complete frustration, she exposes the reality that this is a cultural problem. She knows full well that these things are the result of many forces working against what is right and wrong in a child’s mind. Her only hope is that somehow, in some way, families will do the right thing and train their children in such a way as not to harm others.
Christian schools like MCS know this is not just a cultural problem; this is ultimately a sin problem in many cases. We take an approach that is built on the absolute standard of God’s Word and is designed to transform our thinking about what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2). Students don’t always come to MCS as mature followers of Christ, so we intentionally create a culture that is immersed in the following biblical concepts, from preschool to graduation:
- Respect – A healthy wonder and fear of God. We obey Him because of His great love for us.
- Wisdom – God’s Word applied to real life. We have value because we are made in His image.
- Grace – Giving others more than what they deserve, just as Christ did for us on the
- Trust – God is faithful and sovereign over everything. He alone holds our future and He is good.
- Perspective – Satan is real and he seeks to destroy us, but we have authority to overcome sin through the power of the Holy Spirit. We must know what we believe and why we believe it.
None of us can guarantee that bad things won’t happen in Christian schools, but we significantly decrease the likelihood when students understand themselves and the world around them from God’s perspective. Equally, when the home and church are united with the school in this training, we form a strong barrier that protects the precious hearts and minds that walk our hallways. Thank you for your faithful prayers for our school and our families; may God always keep us in His care.