In accordance with Tennessee state law (T.C.A. § 49-6-1016), CMCSS provides Firearms Safety Education programming to students across all grade levels, from kindergarten through 12th grade. This annual program promotes safety, responsibility, and awareness regarding firearms.

The instruction is age-appropriate and designed to ensure that students learn important safety practices, such as what to do if they encounter a firearm, as well as the importance of making safe decisions. This initiative is intended to help prevent accidents and to provide students with knowledge of safe firearm handling.

Key details about the program:

  • Kindergarten through Grade 5: Students will learn basic safety principles, including the importance of not touching firearms, and the steps to take if they come across one.
  • Grades 6 through 12: Students will receive more detailed information on firearm safety, including how to recognize potential dangers and the significance of personal responsibility in firearm-related situations.

The following are firearms safety and training resources from the state:

Finally, we want to reinforce state law and expectations in the CMCSS Student Code of Conduct regarding weapons and toy weapons on school property, including transportation:

  • Possessing a firearm is a zero-tolerance offense with a mandatory one-calendar-year expulsion and is a criminal offense per state law.
  • Possessing a non-lethal firearm (BB, air, pellet, cap, nerf gun, or other toy gun) on school grounds is a Category 4 offense in the Student Code of Conduct. Additionally, law enforcement can issue citations.

Families, please ensure any weapons in your home are safely secured and out of the hands of children. Please support school safety by checking students’ backpacks and ensuring that weapons or toy weapons of any kind are never brought to school.

As always, we are committed to keeping you informed and engaged in your child’s learning journey. We appreciate your support and partnership to reinforce these lessons at home!