Whitehall-Copay School District Superintendent John Corby spoke about the events that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School during the school board's committee meetings Dec.17.

"I'm very proud to be a part of this school district," he said. "I visited classrooms with kids and the kids are okay, the staff really took it to heart."

Corby also commented on the actions of the staff and adults who made the return to school easier.

"[The schools] stuck to a routine," he said.

The school district had a police presence in the buildings on Monday for the return to school.

Corby noted the proactive measures the district routinely takes with drills and practice evacuations throughout the year.

"We take this seriously, a day does not go by that we don't keep this in our minds," said Corby.

The district sent a link to parents regarding speaking to their children about the Connecticut shooting and also posted it on its Facebook page.

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In other business, Dr. Barbara Chomik spoke about teaching other writing formats besides the MLA format.

"We would like to look at exposing kids to other styles and formats depending on what field they may go into," she said.

The other formats include APA and Chicago style.

Corby concluded the meeting by presenting the school calender for the 2013-14 school year.

The new calender has the district opening one week earlier than this year.