Schools
Guards Provide More than Safety in Enfield Schools
They're not only the face of Enfield schools, school security officers' actions on the first day of school proved they are "part of the family," Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Schumann said.
Tuesday didn't just mark the first day of the 2013-14 academic calendar, it marked the dawn of a new era for public education in Enfield.
18 armed school security officers officially began their work in each of Enfield's public schools Tuesday, following months of debate and controversy over the proper way to ensure kids' safety in the wake of the Newtown shooting on Dec. 14, 2012.
Enfield Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jeffrey Schumann described Tuesday as a high-energy event that students and teachers are excited about, and the school safety officers jumped right in the mix, helping to make the first day of school went smoothly.
With more than two decades of experience under each of their belts, the school security officers are tasked with "keeping a vigilant eye out," said Schumann, who visited each of Enfield's schools Tuesday.
The officers will spend a good deal of time at the front entrances of schools, particularly with the large number of people coming in and out at the beginning and end of each day. The officers will also spend time checking school perimeters, for example, for signs that something is amiss.
Tuesday, however, proved the officers provide more than security for Enfield students.
"They're part of our school family," said Schumann, pointing out that the officers are all moms, dads, grandparents who are fully integrated into the life of each school.
This was evidenced Tuesday when, Schumann recounted by phone, one officer was out with kids at recess, others were helping kids find their way to new classes, and one officer even helped a mother who was running late for work by bringing her child's forgotten backpack to the correct classroom.
Schumann added that he sensed no uneasiness with the officers' presence on school campuses.
The students are happy to be back in school, and staff are happy to have an extra set of hands to help, said the superintendent.
Now that school is underway, the district is focusing on a number of things aimed at improving education in town.
Among those things is the successful implementation of full-day kindergarden (Tuesday marked the first time Enfield kindergartners spent an entire day in class), the consolidation of both high schools and expansion of Enfield High, and the introduction of new technology to classrooms.
Over the summer, Enfield tripled its bandwidth, enabling some classrooms to introduce more handheld devices, new laptops and desktops.
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