scary stuff

Imagine what could possibly be worse than a missing child. I cannot imagine the anguish of not knowing where they are, were they taken or did they leave on their own accord, and in the darkest of places to wonder if they were hurt or dead.

When I got to school for afternoon pick up Monday I couldn't even turn onto the street where Ben's school is located for the multiple news vans and a host of local EMS, police, and firetrucks.

I seriously don't remember what I said out loud, but I wanted to throw up when I saw the blocked off street. Bill had called me en route to say that am email had just gone out that kids were missing from the school and to text him as soon as I had Ben in the car. I parked on a side street pulled Ian out of the carrier and took off towards the school.

As I was making my way past all the other frantic parents some news guy asked if I was here to help search ... uh NO I am here to get my son and I pushed past him.

All the kids were on on lock down in individual classrooms and the teachers were doing the best as I could tell to keep it together. I asked one of the pm teachers what had happened and the story was that 2 eight year olds hopped the back fence when time to come in. There were looking for them, but as of 3 pm they had been missing since lunch around noon.

Here was the "official story" that went out to parents in email from one of the directors.

The two lower elementary girls who left the playground were found on the dirt road near the end of Byrum St. towards Walnut St. They said that they climbed the chain link fence along the back of the playground as their class lined up to come in from recess. The teachers missed them immediately but the girls said that they ran through the neighbor's yard and went towards the woods at the end of the dead end road. Unfortunately, they hid and did not answer the calls of the teachers and parents.

Needless to say, the plan will be to erect new, TALL wooden fencing to replace the chain link ASAP.

The staff and HW families are so relieved that this had a happy ending.

While I am not upset at the fact that this happened, as I think it could happen even with the best of staff. I am more upset that when interviewed last night on the local news and again today at pick up the director has taken a "kids pull pranks" attitude. Ah....no as director of your school there is no room for a nonchalant attitude. I am pleased that it sounds like they are moving to install a better barrier around the school. I hope to see that they will also buzzer the front door and make the two front gates also with some type of coded entry.

Back earlier this year when we were deciding what options we had for care for Ben and Ian this fall we decided that were were going to move both boys back to a school closer to home. Doing double drop off and pickup was not in the cards, even if I go back to work in January. I have already been making the hour round trip after school for pickup and while I gladly have done it another year, I can't logistically make this work with two. As our current school does not take children until 18 months the decision was kinda already been made.

We looked again at all the schools/daycares in the area and both Bill and I toured one in particular over Spring Break. We have decided on a new school that is near our home for Ben in late AUgust and for Ian in either August or January. I also know of 3 other teachers at my school that have been with this new school since they opened in 2007. As much as I hate to move him knowing that he only has one more year until kindergarten, my hands are tied as to what is best for our entire family but more importantly be a good fit for Ben.

I don't regret for a minute that Ben has had this year at the Montessori school, or the outstanding teachers, or the chance to mature using much of the curriculum. But with that being said, the events Monday do make me pause to think that the school itself is a bit to comfortable. The fact that being located off 2 major intersections and surrounded by neighborhoods they should have better security.

This was a preventable disaster that so easily could have ended badly. Even a friend that recently picked up Ben commented that she thought the security was a bit lax when they didn't ask for her license at pickup. The fact that people can literally walk into the building with an open door and take a child without being stopped is scary.

Ben and I took this chance to talk on the way home today about always making sure that we listen to our teachers and other adults. Interestingly enough he brought it up so obviously it had also been emphasized at school also. I just can't imagine if one the missing children had been my kids. Really and truly that is incomprehensible.