Lake County Safety Conference

March 6, 2023
Warren Township High School
ALMOND CAMPUS: 34090 N. Almond Road
Gurnee, IL 60031

Sponsored by the Lake County Regional Office of Education, Lake County Sheriff's Department and the Lake County State's Attorney

MORNING Keynote speaker

Natalie Hammond

RESILIENCY IN THE AFTERMATH

Natalie taught third grade at Sandy Hook Elementary for thirteen years before becoming the Lead Teacher in the building. In a morning meeting on December 14, 2012, she heard alarming sounds outside of the main office. She, along with the Principal and School Psychologist, confronted the unknown. Although wounded multiple times during the attack, Natalie survived her injuries. She now serves as Principal in a PreK-4 elementary school in Connecticut. Since the tragedy, she works with groups around the country to discuss resiliency in the face of adversity and the importance of communication and collaboration when developing safety plans.

Lunch Keynote speaker

LESSONS LEARNED: HIGHLAND PARK PARADE SHOOTING

IMPACT ON SCHOOL SYSTEM

On July 4, 2022, at the Independence Day Parade, innocence was shattered in the north suburban town of Highland Park, Illinois when a gunman shot dozens of people and killed several others. Members of the local school district leadership team sprung into action minutes after the shooting organizing counseling, outreach, support, communication, summer school, and trauma informed support for students, staff, and community. Learn the behind the scenes story and lessons learned from the North Shore School District 112 administrators about the impact on the school system from a mass shooting, violent critical incident, in a formerly sleepy suburban town.