Should teachers talk to students about tragedy in school?

When kids get to school, anything goes, but, should teachers discuss terror attacks with students?

“I think that at any age, if they can understand, they should be taught and spoken to about the situations,” mom Jenece Griman said.

“If they ask. I think it’s on a need to know basis,” mom Basia Hoffman said.

We sat down with Raymond Cree Middle School principal Tracey Piper.

“If something happens that’s more related to school, like the Connecticut shootings, then we would call all the kids together and say, ‘This is how we discuss this with kids,'” Piper said.

She said if a student asks about it, the teacher should answer. However, Piper said she thinks age determines who should talk to kids – parents or teachers.

“The younger the kid is I think the more responsibility the parent has, and the school is there to support the parent and the family. As the student gets older, it’s likely the student is going to talk about it in school with their friends,” she said.

Parents we talked to say kids should know.

“They should discuss issues like that so they can be prepared when they come out into the real world for themselves that there are situations that occur like that and it can be anywhere,” Griman said.

“Calmness is required on the part of the parent and teacher on any dramatic situation to not infuse, defuse,” Hoffman said.

Back at school, teachers say they do plan to defuse.

“It’s not that we shield them from what’s bad in the world, but they’re also at a really impressionable age. The parents I think have a right to be discussing that with their kids more in depth than we do,” Piper said.

Hoping to keep school conversation on math and science.