On Dec. 12, Governor Bob McDonnell visited Godwin High School to speak about school safety.  There has been a big focus on school safety ever since the Sandy Hook shooting occurred in Connecticut a year ago.

As a result of the shooting, Dec. 9 through Dec. 13 is now the official safety week for schools nationwide. It is a time for schools to make sure their establishments are safe for their student bodies.

Governor McDonnell talked about school safety at Godwin on Thursday.

“Don’t be afraid to get involved and be a good neighbor… you [students] can make a difference,” said McDonnell in his speech.

Another person who spoke about the changes in the schools was Alexa Rennie, a graduate of James River High School and a current freshman at Virginia Tech.  She has recommended ideas to schools to increase safety.

She recently input the idea to have the lockdown drills be implemented earlier in the school year. Now students will know what to do if an incident ever occurs.

Governor McDonnell also talked about all the opportunities that are available to Godwin students because they do not have to worry about their safety.

“Students should have to worry about homework, grades, tests, and relationships with students and teachers, not about safety.”

Some Godwin students were excited about McDonnell coming to Godwin and recognizing the school for its safe learning environment.

“I am proud of all the safety regulations at Godwin,” said freshman Abigail Killius.

Other students were inspired by Governor McDonnell’s speech and the advice he gave to them about how to make the most of opportunities.

“I was really interested in what the Governor had to say.  He had some great advice about the future for us students, and I am sure that most of us are thankful for the time he took to come to Godwin.” said junior Matthew Gerloff.

The faculty and staff were also excited for McDonnell’s speech and how the students responded to it.

“I was happy with how well Godwin Students represented themselves and the school. I was also glad that our students had the opportunity to hear first-hand from the Governor of Virginia,” said 11^th grade assistant principal Mike Massa.