Head of School Lee Hark sent an email to the Greenhill community expressing his condolences for the tragic shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, that occurred on Monday, March 27. The shooting, which left four people dead, took place at The Covenant School.

Hark expressed his sadness at the senseless act of violence and offered his sympathies to those impacted by this tragedy. He also acknowledged the impact the shooting has had on the Greenhill community and how families can help their children deal with it.

“Talking about these events with your children will depend greatly on their age and developmental stage,” Hark wrote in the email. “Our counselors have posted resources on the Resource Board about talking with children about tragic events in the news.”

Hark reassured the Greenhill community that student safety remains the school’s highest priority. He highlighted the safety protocols in place and the constant evaluation and adjustment of those protocols to ensure the safety of every Greenhill student, family member and employee.

“We have processes administered by the Audit and Risk Management Committee of the Board of Trustees, the employee Safety Committee and Heroes of Valkyrie (the firm through which we contract our security personnel) to evaluate our safety protocols and identify areas for enhancement or adjustment,” Hark wrote.

The email also mentioned the presence of four highly trained security personnel on campus every day who are ready to protect the people on campus. The security team has become an integral part of the Greenhill community, offering constant feedback about how to make the campus safer.

Additionally, Hark announced several new precautions implemented by the school, including the hiring of new security personnel, the updating of visitor sign-in software, the installation of additional cameras with new security software, and the employment of monitoring software for school-issued laptops and devices.

“These additional safety measures and the constant presence of our security team and their knowledge of the Greenhill community members help ensure the security of our campus each day,” Hark said in the email.

The email concluded by reaffirming the school’s commitment to providing a safe and secure environment for students to learn and grow.

“Educating your students to lead authentic, purposeful lives – and doing so in a safe and secure environment – is a great privilege and a tremendous responsibility. Thank you for entrusting your students to us,” Hark wrote.