Fishbein: Talk to Your Children About Deadly School Shooting

Ridgewood schools superintendent Dan Fishbein is urging parents that talk to their children about the deadly Connecticut school shooting that left 20 students and seven adults dead Friday.

In a letter addressed to parents Friday afternoon, Fishbein said discussing the tragic events that occurred in Newtown, Conn. will help them feel more "safe and secure."

A lone gunman, identified as 20-year-old Adam Lanza, killed his mother in her Newtown house before driving to nearby Sandy Hook Elementary School and unloading shells into students and faculty. Lanza then took his own life. The Connecticut massacre is among the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.

"Acts of insanity like this are not always preventable, but we do all we can to make our children safe," Fishbein wrote to parents in the letter.

"Talking about these events at home will help shore up the feeling of security we want our children to have in our schools. At the same time, these talks will also reinforce the importance of our children remembering and following emergency protocols at school if we ever find ourselves needing to use them."

Police will be stepping up patrols around the schools and crisis counselors will be available on Monday.

Fishbein advised parents to tell their children's teachers or building principal if they are upset or too scared to come to school.