Local school shows support for Sandy Hook

Times Reporter  

 

After last week’s tragedy, one Crowther Memorial Junior High teacher just knew she had to do something.  The wake left by the violence on Dec. 14 in Newtown, Connecticut has many questioning the senseless act, and wondering how they can help. Gunman Adam Lanza went into a Sandy Hook Elementary school classroom, killing 20 students and six staff members, before killing himself. 

The tragedy hit close to home for everyone, whether a member of the small Connecticut community or not, and since the deaths, prayers, love and support have been sent to the surviving families. 

“I decided yesterday (Dec. 16) that I better consider this and know something about it and probably the kids were going to need to do something,” said Michelle Baragar. 

Students and staff were contacted in any means possible, through email, phone calls and Facebook groups. They were asked to wear green and white, which are Sandy Hook Elementary school’s colours, as a way of showing their support to the families.  

“Then we had green ribbons available for any sort of donation. We saw donations everything from a nickel to kids bringing in $20 bills saying things like my mom sent this,” said Baragar.

The entire school body supported the idea and did what they could to help out through the week. Baragar said the students need a way to process something like this much like us adults do. 

She had been teaching Grade 7 homeroom when the Columbine school shooting happened in 1999. She remembers for most of the following day her students needed to talk about it, and were trying to make sense of what happened. 

She said there is that desire to do something but then being so far away it can be tough to figure out what to do.

First thing Monday morning (Dec. 17) the students wanted to talk about what had happened. 

“I said to them you know I respect you guys, you put on your big boy boots and you put on your big girl boots and you came through the doors of the school today after everything you’ve just seen on TV and the internet this weekend about what can happen to you at school and I respect the courage that took even if you didn’t feel this morning that it was an act of courage,” said Baragar. 

On Dec. 21 Baragar closed her envelope and sent off a money order for over $500 to Sandy Hook. There were messages from students included and a photo of the school body wearing green and white clothing, or green ribbons. 

“These little people are going to need resources, there’s kids that survived being shoved in a closet while their teacher was gunned down, where their little ears could hear it,” said Baragar. 

“Our kids can feel like they have a chance to feel like their doing something, small though it may be. We’ll send it to them to use how they see fit.”