QC Schools and Parents Cope with Shooting - CBS4 - WHBF Quad Cities, IL-IA News Weather Sports

QC Schools and Parents Cope with Shooting

By Natalie Zarowny
nzarowny@cbs4qc.com

It was a tough first day back to school here in the Quad Cities since the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.

Some Quad Cities schools and parents are working together to keep fears down, and safety in place.

There's been a police presence in the Rock Island/Milan School District since Friday.

Today, they were back again.

"We have emergency and safety plans in place for every situation," said Holly Sparkman, marketing director for the Rock Island/Milan School District.

That's what school administrators are reminding families.

This weekend, many principals sent out letters to parents outlining their security drills.

There are also counselors on staff to talk to kids.

"We've made them available at any time," said Sparkman.

At home, parents and grandparents are also finding ways to talk to their kids and make them feel safe.

"We sat him down and told him that it's a very rare thing that happened and that it doesn't happen very often," said Dave, a grandparent.

Some parents said it's been harder for their younger children to grasp.

"She's 8 years old.  I mean, there's really only so much they can really, you know, appreciate when a situation like this happens," said Michelle, a parent.

Still, it's been a hard situation for everyone to deal with. 

And for most parents, they said the hardest part isn't talking about the facts of what happened, it's why someone would do such a horrible thing.

"Why do bad things happen to good people, and unfortunately, we just don't have the answers sometimes," said Cosette, a parent.