Sandy Hook survivor, investigator among panelists for school safety talk in Lee
By Clarence Fanto, Eagle correspondent Oct 23, 2018
LEE — A survivor, a parent and the lead police investigator of the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., will participate in a discussion being offered to parents and educators by the Southern Berkshire Educational Future, a collaborative of South County schools.
The "Safe and Sound Schools" discussion, open to parents in the Lee, Lenox, Berkshire Hills and Southern Berkshire school districts, is slated for 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Lee High School Auditorium.
During the Sandy Hook shooting on Dec.14, 2012, 20 children and six adult staff members died after Adam Lanza, 20, opened fire and then committed suicide at the scene.
The discussion speakers include:
- Michele Gay, co-founder and executive director of Safe and Sound Schools. Her daughter, Josephine, was killed at Sandy Hook. Gay joined fellow Sandy Hook mother Alissa Parker to establish Safe and Sound Schools as a national resource for school safety. Gay, a former public school teacher, travels the nation to share a message of inspiration, recovery, and school safety education and advocacy. She also conducts school safety workshops and seminars, and advises on school safety development in communities across the country.
- Natalie Hammond, a third-grade teacher at the time of the shooting at Sandy Hook. She was wounded several times during the attack and is now a principal at a Connecticut elementary school. Hammond works with groups around the country to discuss resiliency in the face of adversity and the importance of communication and collaboration when developing safety plans.
- Dan Jewiss, a Connecticut state trooper and detective who joined the force in 1998 and investigated numerous felony cases such as homicides, bank robberies, sexual assaults, financial crimes and, most notably, as lead investigator of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. He travels widely to share his personal analysis and lessons learned from that tragedy. Since 2014, he has been an instructor at the Connecticut State Police Training Academy. He has been conducting training sessions and consulting for various law enforcement agencies, military units, corporations and a variety of youth groups since 2008. The father of two daughters, Jewiss said he strives to inspire his students to become positive influences in their families and communities.
Describing the speakers as "amazing," Lenox Schools Superintendent Kimberly Merrick calls it "a presentation you'll never forget."
The Southern Berkshire Educational Future group includes the Berkshire Hills Regional School District, Lee, Lenox and Southern Berkshire Regional School District. The four South County districts work toward educational and community collaborations. The Safe Schools program is an example of a joint effort by the group.
By Clarence Fanto, Eagle correspondent Oct 23, 2018
LEE — A survivor, a parent and the lead police investigator of the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., will participate in a discussion being offered to parents and educators by the Southern Berkshire Educational Future, a collaborative of South County schools.
The "Safe and Sound Schools" discussion, open to parents in the Lee, Lenox, Berkshire Hills and Southern Berkshire school districts, is slated for 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Lee High School Auditorium.
During the Sandy Hook shooting on Dec.14, 2012, 20 children and six adult staff members died after Adam Lanza, 20, opened fire and then committed suicide at the scene.
The discussion speakers include:
- Michele Gay, co-founder and executive director of Safe and Sound Schools. Her daughter, Josephine, was killed at Sandy Hook. Gay joined fellow Sandy Hook mother Alissa Parker to establish Safe and Sound Schools as a national resource for school safety. Gay, a former public school teacher, travels the nation to share a message of inspiration, recovery, and school safety education and advocacy. She also conducts school safety workshops and seminars, and advises on school safety development in communities across the country.
- Natalie Hammond, a third-grade teacher at the time of the shooting at Sandy Hook. She was wounded several times during the attack and is now a principal at a Connecticut elementary school. Hammond works with groups around the country to discuss resiliency in the face of adversity and the importance of communication and collaboration when developing safety plans.
- Dan Jewiss, a Connecticut state trooper and detective who joined the force in 1998 and investigated numerous felony cases such as homicides, bank robberies, sexual assaults, financial crimes and, most notably, as lead investigator of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. He travels widely to share his personal analysis and lessons learned from that tragedy. Since 2014, he has been an instructor at the Connecticut State Police Training Academy. He has been conducting training sessions and consulting for various law enforcement agencies, military units, corporations and a variety of youth groups since 2008. The father of two daughters, Jewiss said he strives to inspire his students to become positive influences in their families and communities.
Describing the speakers as "amazing," Lenox Schools Superintendent Kimberly Merrick calls it "a presentation you'll never forget."
The Southern Berkshire Educational Future group includes the Berkshire Hills Regional School District, Lee, Lenox and Southern Berkshire Regional School District. The four South County districts work toward educational and community collaborations. The Safe Schools program is an example of a joint effort by the group.