For those who don't live in the Amarillo area, Connie Wootton may be a stranger. Rest assured though, to those involved in Episcopal education in the Southwest, Connie Wootton is not only a friend, but she was also a colleague, an administrator, a headmistress, and executive.

Mrs. Wootton, as many know her, is the retired Executive Director of the Southwest Association of Episcopal Schools (SAES), a position she accepted in 2002 after her retirement as headmistress of St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Amarillo. In her position with SAES, Connie met and influenced Episcopal school teachers and leaders from the entire Southwest region.

According to the SAES website, "The Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools serves 118 Episcopal schools, richly diverse in location, size and scope, throughout the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas. SAES is a member in good standing with the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Commission on Accreditation and is not only the single religious affiliated accrediting association recognized by NAIS Accreditation Commission, but also the only Episcopal accrediting association in the United States. Both of these factors combine to place SAES in a unique position to serve Episcopal schools both inside and outside its current six state region." Their mission is not only educational excellence, which attracts many families, but it is also leading, nurturing, and unifying Episcopal schools within the faith community of The Episcopal Church.

Prior to serving at St. Andrew's School, Connie taught English at Horace Mann Junior High  School and was assistant principal at Stephen F. Austin Middle School, both in Amarillo. She hails from Miami, TX, and attended West Texas A & M University, formerly known as West Texas State University.

Following Connie's retirement from SAES in 2014, The Connie Wootton Award for Excellence in Teaching was established. According to the SAES website, the recipients will:

Teachers currently engaged in an SAES community may apply for a Wootton Award. In addition, administrators of SAES schools may nominate a teacher in their community. A $5000 cash prize is awarded in four different categories; Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle/Upper, and a special focus category such as a teacher of a specific topic or a Chaplain.

No award could be more appropriate as a remembrance of Connie Wootton and her years of service to, and dedication to, education in the Panhandle and the Southwest. No doubt her leadership will be remembered affectionately for many years to come.

For more information, or to download the registration form, follow THIS LINK.

• Who do you call? (e.g., the bishop/diocese, wardens, close colleagues, etc.)
• What community resources are available for different situations?
• What do you do or not do?
• Think ahead about what you might need.(e.g., photo nametags for clergy and other caregivers -- something 815 (The Episcopal Church home office) cobbled together quickly after 9/11, but is worth doing ahead of time to help police know who is legit)
• Stockpile some supplies (I noticed that someone got bottled water to everyone in Newtown and I've seen that elsewhere. Tissues is another common item.)
• Include sample statements and press do's and don'ts. We can't assume that the clergy/laity in a local church know what to say or not say.
• Talk about how to interact with the press and public in a way that proclaims the Gospel. Some clergy are good at this on the spot -- others....not so good. One of the training bits I did when I taught baby bishop school was to make them respond to a crisis situation when the TV reporter shoves a mike in their face and asks them a question. That's one thing some of them still mention to me many years later as being helpful. Role playing that a few times with different scenarios helps get something in your head so when it happens, you aren't thinking about it for the first time. 
• How might you organize an interfaith service? What might you offer from the Episcopal tradition?
• Where do you find ongoing help for victims, survivors, caregivers, etc.
• Where do you find funding sources for different needs? Most clergy aren't aware of what's available or how to access it.
• How do you prepare in advance? Few churches do routine risk assessments (When were your fire extinguishers last updated? Do you have an open door policy that leaves staff vulnerable -- do you even have a panic button they can press? A checklist would help)
• Do you do any training: fire drills, talk about how to keep safe, etc.? Do you know where you'd find a locked room to hide kids in if it happened in your church? Where would you go? What would you do?