CNN has a daily program for school children. I have been monitoring what info they have been presenting since several months ago when many of us got down on CNN and the MSM. Most of what they have presented has been pretty balanced and reasonable, imho. This article I found
a bit ....... well, I don't know, you decide:


"Preparing for the Worst

MONICA LLOYD, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: The United Nations is devoting a lot of time this month to the topic of preventing the construction of nuclear weapons. One reason is the fear of what could happen, if those weapons fell into the wrong hands. It's highly unlikely that terrorists could get hold of a nuclear bomb... But Kimberly Osias asked what could be done if they did, and attacked Americans.

(begin video)

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN REPORTER: We've all seen it on the silver screen...People screaming, scrambling for safety in the aftermath of a nuclear explosion. But that's Hollywood's rendition in the Sum of All Fears...This could be reality...And just what would happen if a nuclear bomb went off here..near your hometown. Even though the chance of an attack is considered slim, is the government doing enough?

RICHARD FALKENRATH, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: This is the most dangerous weapon ever invented and there is no good consequence management strategy for it.There are only bad ones. We try to do as well as we can, but the government is not going to do particularly well given how hard a task this is.

OSIAS: One thing the government has done has put information out on ready.gov, the Internet site designed by the Department of Homeland Security. The site claims, in the event of a detonation, you should take shelter, gain distance and minimize your exposure time, but some nuclear physicist say that information is archaic and wrong. For example they say you don't want to take shelter at all. You just want to get out of the way.

OSIAS: The question is just how to do that. According to the site, it's a bit unclear how to travel, and it mentions nothing about wind direction. Scientists say a nuclear cloud is shaped much like a cigar -- longer than it is wide and that you want to run perpendicular, or to the left or right of the cloud. As far as physical effects --- there's heat, pressure and radiation. Experts say with the first two, there's nothing you can do.

FALKENRATH: If you're in the vicinity of the attack you're simply gonna die. Radiation there is something to do about it because it will go up in the atmosphere and drift downwind and spread this radioactive plume.

OSIAS: Although terrorists may want to tap into nuclear vehicles the likelihood is slim. Obtaining enriched uranium or plutonium is difficult and terrorist are likely to go for what's easy and what they know.

FALKENRATH: You find out it's not like Shake and Bake cooking. This isn't the type of thing that you can go into your basement and whip up without a considerable amount of risk to yourself.

OSIAS: The Department of Homeland Security says ready.gov was never intended to be a comprehensive site, rather a way for the public to begin a dialogue. They admit that wind was omitted primarily because what's going on at ground level could vastly be different from what is happening up in the atmosphere. Kimberly Osias, CNN, Washington.

(end video)"

http://cnnstudentnews.cnn.com/2005/fyi/new...anscript.wed/#4

haven't heard a word mentioned
and I'm sure my 15 year old would talk to me about it.

I guess we teachers should be teaching our kids to duck and cover. Maybe there's some of the old video stuff left over from the 50's to give us a clue how it's done.

Where's that TURTLE!

That report is so Orwellean that I expect to see Room 101 and the rat cages any second now.

"OSIAS: One thing the government has done has put information out on ready.gov, the Internet site designed by the Department of Homeland Security. The site claims, in the event of a detonation, you should take shelter, gain distance and minimize your exposure time, but some nuclear physicist say that information is archaic and wrong. For example they say you don't want to take shelter at all. You just want to get out of the way."


We practice the "drop, hold, and cover drill" since the Northridge earthquake, but havn't had one in so long that if we do anytime soon, I'll have kids crying and peeing their pants. On the first fire drill a few of them cried and thought there was a real fire. Our staff is prepared for disasters and we have "duties" like search and rescue and morgue. I wouldn't even try to explain something like this to kindergarteners.

KT

Well, I thought this was far too scary for any kid (of any age) to discuss.
And it is soooo retro. I found it truly bizarre. I mean if you can see it, then you are dead, right ? So where are you going to run to ?!

Anyway, I have never heard my kid say that he had any CNN news reports at school, either, Jill.
I guess this may be for the better

KT: I cannot fathom dealing with 5 year olds in an earthquake- or even a drill !
You are funny when you joke about it, but you are one brave lady to have to deal with it at all.

Don't just think it's kinders; high schoolers can be just as nervous!

Very true. They know just enough to be scared out of their minds.

I remember my son was a new student, at a new school (a freshman in HS) on 9/11.
Mr Pie and I saw it all live and Mr. Pie, having frequented the Financial District, knew at once that the first plane was not a private jet and also figured it was no accident.

We wondered whether to go to school to fetch The Kid but decided the administration of the school would surely handle the situation well and did not need hundreds of panicked parents coming around.

We could not have been more wrong... about the school administrators handling it well. They did nothing. And the poor teachers were in such shock themselves, that they just let the kids sit there all day and watch things unfold ! No discussion, no counselors available. The kids just sat there in total freak'in fear.

When my son got home he was a mess and very confused.

Methinks there should be policies in place to handle such difficult subjects as terrorism and
nuclear attacks - and parents should be advised at the beginning of the school year as to what those policies are (like when we here in FloriDUH have to sign a "student code of conduct" at the beginning of each school year- a natural place to explain such a policy).

And let's all hope we never have to deal with any of this ever again.

BTW: as teachers, what do your districts instruct you to do in such situations? Or do they leave you with no guidance ?

I remember being one of those teachers watching all those events unfold in the classroom. It was surreal. It was impossible to decide whether to turn off the TV or let the students watch. It was history and it was horror. No one should ever have to develop a plan to deal with situations like that.

I was so full of rage, anger, and frustration that all I could do was watch. To this day, I still have the flag that I hung outside my house that day. It's displayed in my classroom with a big "9/11/01" enscribed on the red and white stripes; it is the flag to which I say the pledge every morning. I never want to let go of the anger- it is what drives me every day and one of the reasons I am so enraged at George W. Bush and his ineptitude. My rage will not abate until I see Bin Laden's head in a box; I don't even care if it's packed in dry ice. No problem with that at all.

We are taught to deal with fires and earthquakes- or hurricanes in your area- but no one could ever plan for such horror and devastation.

Now, ask me how I really feel...

My department (HS Social Studies) collectively gathered our students and watched events unfold on television. As many of us did not have functioning televisions at the time, we packed classes together and had kids sitting on the floor watching.

I'll never forget the reaction one girl had as the buildings came down. Her father was on a business trip to NYC and was supposed to be in the Towers for meeteings, meals, etc. off and on for a week. Once the towers came down and the phone lines jammed, her attempts to call him on her cell phone came up with 'all circuits are busy' messages. She never completely lost composure, and we managed to get her escorted to our councilors. Fortunately, her father had one of those chance moments and his meeting was rescheduled so he wasn't present during the attacks.

We did our best as the events unfolded to explain things to our students, it was especially heavy as they explained the number of people each tower held roughly matches the size of our town. At the time we expected next to no survivors. Even though we are 1/2 a continent away, this brought things home.

As far as guidance 'from above': nothing was discussed on that day, or since. I think we handled things as best we could.

Sounds to me like you did a great job, Noonan. First, it was good to get the kids in larger group, as I think we all find comfort in larger numbers. And you made sure the young girl got counseling. And you let the students talk about it and tried to explain it as best you could. I wish my son had been with you !

Since it is probably true that there will be another attack of some sort, in some place in this country, it is beyond my comprehension why school boards/administrators do not have some broad guidelines for teachers to follow- and parents, too. I mean, if it is best to leave the kids where they are, then parents should be told to do so (I am not talking about a ground zero situation). And there should be policies in place to combine classes, so that no one teacher has to deal with 30 (or more) kids alone.

What is the problem here ?! Do people think if we do not plan, then it won't happen ?

As for the kids, they do not need to be unduly frightened by being aware of any plan- but I would think it would sure help the adults (which, of course, then helps the kids in the long run).