Thoughts about the Uvalde Tragedy

[prin...@sethigh.org]

Dear Students, Parents, and Guardians,

I cannot let the latest school shooting incident in Uvalde, Texas go without comment.  As K-12 educators and as families who have children in the K-12 school system, each of these incidents feels like a direct attack on our community.  We cannot help but feel less safe, deeply hurt, and terrified that something like this could happen in our community.  This is the time for us all to gather together in solitary, give each other a collective hug, and speak in a united voice: "never here".

Students, please know that all of the SET staff are here to talk to you if you need to express your sadness, your fear, your anger, and/or, perhaps the worst of all, your forlornness.  Those of us who are older can at least give you some perspective and help you process the event.  I don't think any of us have any real answers, of course, but that doesn't mean that talking through our feelings isn't helpful and important.  Helping you helps the staff heal, as well, so please do not feel like you are ever bothering us.

As I have mentioned before, after times like these the natural question to ask is "are we safe?"  Our approach to school safety, school discipline, and mental health is to continually promote a culture of inclusiveness, to make sure that we never leave anyone behind, and to never let anyone suffer alone.  The horrific acts that we see on a daily basis are almost always perpetrated by people who are alone; by people who have been marginalized.  We work hard at our school to make sure that all of our students belong, regardless of their differences.  We never give up on a student, and we hope that that means that they will never give up on themselves.  What I am most proud of about our community is that it is not just our staff that practices this inclusiveness; it permeates throughout our student body.  Our students may not always agree with one another, but they almost always start from a place of acceptance and a recognition of our shared humanity.  Students, I urge you to continue to promote this culture.  Care about one another, check in with one another, and communicate with staff if you are worried about issues that you or your friends are going through.  Most importantly, if you see something, say something.  Most of you do this already.  Keep being you.

That is how we will remain safe at SET.

Parents, if you are struggling with ways to talk about these kinds of events with your children, this guide compiled by the San Diego County Office of Education may be helpful.

My deepest condolences to the families in Uvalde and to all of you who have had your own tragedies rekindled by this horrific event,

Dr. McCurdy