TELL US: What Safety Steps Should Norwood Schools Take?

In the wake of the Newtown school shooting, what safety plans should Norwood schools put in place? Should they increase security? Tell us in the comment section.

Now a week after the tragic school shooting in Newtown, Conn., school districts across the country are reviewing safety measures and procedures. "We have practiced throughout the year our emergency procedures and will continue to review all our safety plans to do everything we can to provide safe schools in cooperation with the Norwood Police and Fire Departments," Norwood Superintendent James Hayden wrote in a letter to local parents last weekend. We want to know what, if anything, you think should be done locally after this tragedy.  Should Norwood increase security at schools? Change any existing plans for emergencies? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below. 

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After Newtown, NRA Ready to Make 'Meaningful Contributions'

National group issues statement about preventing future tragedies after shooting that killed 28, including the gunman, in Connecticut.

After days of silence, the National Rifle Association has released a statement on the tragic shooting in Newtown, Conn., saying it will make "meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again." In the release, the organization begins to explain its silence, saying: "Out of respect for the families, and as a matter of common decency, we have given time for mourning, prayer and a full investigation of the facts before commenting." Critics had called out the group in the days following the shooting: As citizens and legislators began to fall on either side of a debate about what, if at all, should be done about gun laws, many wondered why the group was absent from the conversation. Like many Americans, Patch readers have been…

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Patch Facts

Five Things You Need to Know Today in Norwood: Holiday Recycling, Schools Winter Break

Your daily dose of Patch knowledge.

Five Things You Need To Know Today is a Patch column that provides readers with essential, daily information at a glance. Check back later for more, and let us know what you think of the feature in the comments section. 1. There will be a one day only styrofoam recycling day at the Winter Street Compost Facility next Wednesday, Dec. 26. Click here for more information, and be sure to bring all that extra shipping styrofoam from holiday gifts to be recycled. 2. Don't forget, Friday will be a half day for Norwood schools to start the winter break. Classes will resume Wednesday, Jan. 2. 3. Over the weekend, Norwood Public Schools Superintendent James Hayden issued a letter to all parents regarding the tragic shooting in Newtown, Conn. last …

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U.S. Postal Services Sets Up Newtown PO Box

A special post office box has been established for those wishing to send condolences to Newtown, CT.

The following text was provided by the U.S. Postal Service. The U.S. Postal Service has established a unique Post Office Box to allow the public to send condolences to those affected by the tragedy in Newtown CT last week. Those who wish to send expressions of comfort should address them to: Messages of Condolence for Newtown PO Box 3700 Newtown, CT 06470  “We understand that there is an outpouring of support for everyone in the Newtown area and we hope to make it easier for those who wish to send encouragement and messages of compassion to those affected,” said Kimberly J. Peters, Connecticut Valley District Manager for the U.S. Postal Service, adding, “Through letters and cards, families will be able to hold that friendship in their …

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VIDEO: Krafts to Donate $25K to Newtown; Patriots Remember Victims

Patriots President Jonathan Kraft told media Sunday The Kraft Group and his family will be donating $25,000 to those affected by the Newtown tragedy. On Sunday, the Patriots honored the 26 victims of the school shooting with a special moment of silence.

New England Patriots President Jonathan Kraft told 98.5 The Sports Hub Sunday the Kraft family and Kraft Group will be donating $25,000 to help those affected by last Friday’s shooting in Newtown, Conn. that took the lives of 26 people, including 20 elementary school children. “Your heart just sinks and you get nauseous and you never would expect anything like that would ever happen [in Newtown] … it’s just horrible,” Jonathan Kraft said. … “Our family [and] the Kraft Group donated some money and we encourage other people who are in a position to do that to do it.” Friday’s tragedy hit close to the Kraft family because of a box company they own in Newtown with a factory less than two miles from Sandy Hook Elementary School. “We’ve run a …

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Talking To Your Kids About Newtown Tragedy

PBS has strategies for talking and listening to your children about the news.

In the wake of the Newtown, CT shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Tewksbury parents may find their children hearing about the tragedy or seeing it on the news and find themselves in a difficult discussion.   For parents seeking guidance on how to address the tragedy with their own children, if it comes up, PBS has an article with flexible suggestions for answering kids' questions about the news. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) also has a 24-hour hotline dedicated to providing disaster crisis counseling at 1-800-985-5990 or by texting "TalkWithUs" to 66746. The hotline is open to U.S. residents who are experiencing psychological distress as a result of a natural or man-made disasters, incidents …

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