Ensuring that students and staff have a safe educational environment remains a top priority to all of us. In an effort to address the fact that firearms were the leading cause of death for American children and adolescents in 2020 and 2021, I would like to share the “BeSMART” gun safety message.

Using the acronym SMART, this gun safety program has five simple steps we can all take to help prevent shootings from unsecured firearms.

• Secure all guns in your homes and vehicles.

• Model responsible behavior around guns.

• Ask about the presence of unsecured guns in other homes.

• Recognize the role of guns in suicide.

• Tell your peers to be SMART.

It’s our responsibility as adults to keep kids from accessing guns and keeping our schools, homes and community safe for everyone.

Jean Barbour, R.N.
Falmouth