CT School Shooting Victim’s Daughter: ‘She Taught Me How to Be Compassionate’

A memorial service will be held Thursday for Mary Sherlach, the school psychologist at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

When the school day ended, Mary Sherlach didn’t stop helping people. “She was a psychologist off the job,” said her daughter, Maura Schwartz, 27, of Deptford, NJ. “Any time my aunts needed someone to talk to, they called my mom. Any time a friend was in crisis, they called my mom. She did not take her (work) hat off. This wasn’t just a job for her; it was who she was. She was constantly wanting to help people.” Sherlach, 56, was among 26 people—including 20 children—killed during a shooting rampage Dec. 14 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. The shooter, identified as 20-year-old Adam Lanza, also killed his mother and himself, authorities said.  Sherlach, the school’s psychologist, has been hailed as a hero in the deadly …

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District Taking Steps to Ensure School Safety in Wake of CT Tragedy

Superintendent Brian Betze said the district will review its safety protocols to ensure its schools are as safe as possible in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook school shootings.

In the wake of Friday’s tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, administrators in the Moorestown School District are doing what they can to ensure the community their school is safe. Superintendent Brian Betze said he met with Bryan Wright, a Moorestown police officer who functions as the district’s safety officer, and discussed reviewing the district’s security plan in the coming weeks and months. Betze said the plan is evaluated every school year, but has not been examined yet this year. “Because of what happened (in Connecticut), we need to do it,” the superintendent explained. Among the measures Betze said he would recommend include:   Additionally, police will increase patrols around the schools this week as an…

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Under the Radar

Time to Rise Up and Say 'Enough'

In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook shooting, is America going to keep the status quo or is something—finally—going to change, our columnist asks.

Nothing is funny today. There is a pall hanging over this holiday season, a grief-filled cloud, brought on by yet another horrifying mass shooting. How can we make sense of a world where a loved one, a beloved child, can walk out the door, never to return because of a random act of violence? And how horrible that these senseless acts of violence have become so common that they could literally happen anywhere at anytime. What kind of world have we created? My usual Monday morning column was written before Friday’s shooting. It was fluff—a festive piece about holiday traditions around the world. It was something to read on a coffee break, guaranteed to give a chuckle or two or, perhaps, food for thought. Ever since the unimaginable happened…

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NJarhead

7:33 am on Thursday, December 20, 2012

Was not expecting that response. In any event, I think you keyed in on one aspect of my post and blew it up. I don't think you have a good handle on the meaning of another aspect of my post but attempted to blow that up as well. Then you failed to respond to the rest. No matter. I wish you peace as well.   more ›

How to Talk With Children About Tragedy

Validate children's feelings and talk about safety.

Friday's tragic school shooting in Newtown, CT has left many parents asking how to handle discussing events like this with children.  Kristina Silvestry, MA, Counselor and Director of Berkeley Heights, NJ-based Peace of Mind Counseling and Wellness Center, said first and foremost, it's very important children feel safe. "Find out what they've heard and then really validate their feelings," Silvestry said.  Silvestry advises against making dismissive statements such as, "Everything's going to be fine." "You never want them to feel that they're wrong for feeling what they're feeling," she said. "You have to give them time and let them process it. Let them ask questions and parents can pull upon things like their faith or other coping …

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Mary Sherlach, CT School Shooting Victim, Looked Ahead to Next Stage of Life

Sherlach was school psychologist at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, the site of a deadly shooting rampage on Friday.

WEST DEPTFORD, NJ -- Mary Sherlach looked forward to spending more time on Owasco Lake during her retirement.  She and her husband, Bill, owned a cabin along the Finger Lakes in upstate New York.  Mary Sherlach was one year away from retirement.  But on Friday morning, her life ended in the second most deadly school shooting in American history.  Sherlach, 56, was school psychologist at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, where a gunman opened fire, killing 26 people, including 20 children. The gunman, identified as 20-year-old Adam Lanza, also killed his mother, who was a teacher at the school, according to reports. He died in the rampage at the school, bringing the death toll to 28.  Sherlach, who lived in Trumbull, CT, had …

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