Farmington Public Schools Supt. Susan Zurvalec this afternoon issued a statement aiming to reassure parents in the wake of a horrific shooting in a Newtown, CT school Friday morning. 

According to news reports, a man believed to have been in his 20s and who has not been officially identified opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Among the dead, 20 are children and six are adults. The gunman died at the school. 

"While we know that this is far away from Farmington Public Schools, we understand the emotions that everyone goes through when they hear such horrible news," Zurvalec wrote. 

She noted the district has "numerous protocols in place" to keep schools safe and a "comprehensive safety plan that includes an active District Crisis Response Team comprised of social workers and psychologists who are trained to handle the aftermath of emotions in response to crisis situations". Schools also practice multiple safety drills throughout the school year.

"Because this type of situation is hard for adults to comprehend, it is even harder for children to understand. It is suggested that you limit your child’s access to media coverage of this event," Zurvalec wrote.

How are you helping your children cope with this terrible news? Please share your best advice in the comments.