The tragedy at Sandy Hook school in Connecticut is fresh on the minds of local students, staff, and law enforcement.
Special attention is being made to help students feel as safe and protected as possible.
JILL LEVINE, PRINCIPAL, NORMAL PARK MAGNET SCHOOL "I was very impressed, police officers from the Chattanooga police department showed up this morning first thing just to check on us."
Its understandable that teachers and students in Hamilton county schools would be anxious the first day back in class since the tragic events at Sandy Hook school.
Principal Jill Levine at Normal Park Magnet School tried to head off some of that concern with an email to parents on Sunday.
JILL LEVINE, PRINCIPAL, NORMAL PARK SCHOOL "It was important to communicate with the parents to let them know that we had a plan for Monday morning...that we were thinking about this and how to best take care of the emotional well-being of their children."
Ms. Levine says the subject came up in some classes..and was not even mentioned in others.
But, that reassurance wasn't all directed at students. There are teachers feelings to be considered.
JILL LEVINE, PRINCIPAL "When teachers see this type of tragedy, they see their own students and and their own classrooms...and they play the scenarios in their head...What would I do in this situation?"
In addition to close patrols, law enforcement was giving thought to all the possibilities.
SHERIFF JIM HAMMOND, HAMILTON COUNTY "Any time you get something so horrific, you always concern yourself with a copy-cat type situation...so we did notify all our officers that they were to be riding through the parking lots of all the schools ."
The Sheriff admits its not possible to cover every possible scenario.
SHERIFF JIM HAMMOND "I don't think this is something we could spend enough tax dollars on ad put enough manpower in there to be able to give the kind of reliance that parents would like to have in the security of their children."
But he says that doesn't mean schools and students are in danger.
Sheriff Hammond says local agencies should direct more attention to dealing with troubled and mentally ill people who may be prone to violence like that at the Connecticut school.
