Tooele students write letters to Florida shooting survivors

TOOELE – Utah teens are showing support to students 2,000 miles away in Parkland, Fla.

Tooele Junior High School teacher Kristine Jakin is having her classes write letters to the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Jakins said she hoped the assignment would be a good way for her students to practice their writing skills, but more importantly show the teens a way to help others, especially in a time of grieving.

“Ever since the shooting, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it and it’s something that I’m sure my students haven’t been able to stop thinking about,” she said.

Jakins said it enables her to have a really tough conversation with her students about last week’s deadly shooting, something school administrators around the country are having to tackle this week.

Students KSL observed took the assignment very seriously.

“I watch the news a lot because I’m kind of into that stuff, so when it came on (news of the shooting) I kind of cried myself to sleep after that, so I’ve been thinking about it a lot too,” said eighth grader Ariel.

“I’m writing to one of them today about, like, to just let them know that there are still good people in the world that care and are always there for them in bad times like what’s going on,” said her classmate Jaxon.

Jakins had her students bring home a permission slip to their parents earlier this week to write the letters. Not only was it for guardians to sign off on the emotional assignment, but another way to have families in the community have a conversation about the 17 lives lost in Florida.