The children of Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn. returned to school today for the first time since the tragic shooting that killed 20 of their classmates and 6 of their teachers last month.
The original Sandy Hook remains closed, so the students will attend classes at Chalk Hill school, about seven miles away in the nearby town of Monroe.
The new building hasn't been used as a school for several years, but administrators from both Newtown and Monroe have gone to great lengths to make Chalk Hill look and feel like Sandy Hook, going as far as moving chairs from the old building, decorating classrooms with the same accouterments, and transporting children's belongings, like crayons and clothing left behind in the rush to escape the shooter.
The new school has been renamed Sandy Hook, and school officials have moved the sign from the original school to the new one.
"Please know the inspiration you and your children have been to my staff and me as we connect with you at Chalk Hill," wrote Donna Page, the interim principal for the new school, wrote in a letter posted on the school's website.
"Be assured that the towns of Monroe and Newtown are working night and day to ensure the facility is safe, secure, and fully operational for our return."
Sandy Hook principal Dawn Hochsprung was killed in the attack while trying to defend students, witnesses say.
While students at other schools in Newtown begin classes today, Sandy Hook students start tomorrow. Today is an open house where faculty can reunite and students and parents can become acquainted with the new surroundings.
Security is high as children return to class. Both the Newtown and Monroe police departments are out in force. "Right now, it has to be the safest school in America," said Lt. Keith White of the Monroe police department.
"It feels extremely secure there," said Newtown School Superintendent Janet Robinson.
"We want to get back to teaching and learning," she said. "We will obviously take time out from the academics for any conversations that need to take place, and there will be a lot of support there. All in all, we want the kids to reconnect with their friends and classroom teachers, and I think that's going to be the healthiest thing."
More by I-Hsien Sherwood
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