Our high school just successfully hosted a mock crash for the students in grades 7-12.  While most of the time these incidents are something we see on tv or as something that may happen to someone else, this crash brings it home and involves people we know very well.  As impactful as the crash itself was the speaker that addressed us after the crash made it more personal than many of our students could every imagine.  Matt Maas lost his son just a couple years ago.  His son was a senior in high school and already a volunteer firefighter.  He wasn't a troubled teen.  He wasn't drinking.  He was in a car with a group of kids making careless decisions and he paid with his life.  Matt called it a crash because it wasn't an accident.  Now I'll be the first to admit that I wasn't able to hold back tears as he spoke about his son's funeral and how it impacted the community and certainly his family.  I challenge you to ask your child what they learned from the experience and hopefully it becomes a great opportunity for you to remind them as well how very important the responsibility to drive ( and ride ) in a car is.  

One more great realization from this process is one that can only happen in a small town like Lanesboro.  As I saw the first responders coming in to the mock crash, I see police officers that have worked with our students.  I saw the EMT people show up and it is the mayor and local business people.  I see the fire department show up and it is the parents of our students and the people who I call for support of our programs and leaders in our town.  This truly is a supportive community and we are all better for being a part of it.