Letter to District 89 Families
May 21, 2018
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Our deepest condolences go out to the families and students of Santa Fe High School in Texas as well as to all of the victims of violence. The safety and security of our students and staff remains our top priority. Throughout the past couple of years, the district has taken numerous steps to increase physical security of our buildings as well as implement additional supports for our students related to their social and emotional well-being. We work regularly with local law enforcement officials on safety drills across the district. Additionally, we have been working with a nationally recognized security consultant for over a year to implement additional security measures. Some of these measures include: security guards at every school, school resource officers, card key access, new security cameras, safety drills with law enforcement, and new communication tools. I encourage you to talk with your students about their safety and ensure that if they see or hear something that concerns them, they need to tell a trusted adult. We take all threats seriously and work with law enforcement to investigate any rumors or potential threats.
At school, it continues to be our goal to handle situations such as what occurred in Texas with tact and sensitivity while trying to maintain normalcy for our students. If students bring up the tragic event from Texas in a class, our teachers will simply acknowledge the question/comment, encourage children to ask parents if they want more information, and redirect our students back to the lesson or activity. We have instructed our staff to focus on a normal school day. We know that maintaining a normal school day and keeping to our routines is best for our students. Of course, we will reassure our students that school is a safe place. Additionally, teachers are encouraged to offer the services of our school social workers to any students who need to process this situation further with an adult.
We understand that these events will impact kids and families differently, and it is our intent to provide the safe and supportive environment you expect for your children every day. We have listed some resources that will help you talk with your children about tragic events.
Sincerely,
Dr. David Negron
Superintendent
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