Rochester Schools Report 'Quiet and Calm' Monday With New Safety Measures in Place

Rochester Community Schools responded to the shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, on Monday with heightened security at each building in the district. 

Interim Superintendent Tresa Zumsteg asked principals in all elementary, middle and high school buildings to lock all exterior doors after students arrived in the morning; either staff members or parent volunteers monitored the front doors of buildings during the day. 

In addition, the Rochester Police Department and Oakland County Sheriff's Office had extra police patrols around the schools. 

"I am pleased to report that Rochester Community Schools had a quiet and calm day, with classroom activities proceeding as normal," Zumsteg said in an email to parents on Monday night.

The district's Critical Incidence Team, which includes administrators, social workers, police officers and PTA members, met to discuss long-term plans and safety protocols on Monday.

That team has called for specific training for school personnel that deals with armed intruders. 

"In the long-term we are looking at how we can implement an enhanced monitoring system in our schools," Zumsteg's email stated. 

"We know that open and frequent communication is one of the key components in bringing a community closer together, and that there is strength in this partnership." 

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