Superintendent Message: May 24, 2022
Dear FUSD Community,
School should always be a safe place for learning, for growth, and for the students and staff working together. Safely attending school should be a universal right, yet sadly we are confronted with another tragic school shooting.
As we all wrestle with the incomprehensible news from Uvalde, Texas, it brings to the surface many emotions and fears for members of our school community. During these difficult times we must come together, help one another, and remain open to receiving help if needed.
Your student may experience strong feelings in response to this tragedy. Some students may request to talk with someone. Other students who could benefit from assistance are reluctant to seek help. Please reach out to your student’s school to request counseling services for your student, if you feel they are needed.
Resources that may be useful to our community are provided below:
- Parent Guidelines for Helping Youth After the Recent Shooting (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network – English/Spanish)
- Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers (National Association of School Psychologists)
- Helping Children Cope with Frightening News (Child Mind Institute)
- Coping in the Aftermath of a Shooting (American Counseling Association)
- Trauma and Disaster Mental Health (American Counseling Association)
Our sites prepare staff and students to respond to emergency situations with shelter-in-place and lockdown drills, and our site-specific Comprehensive School Safety Plans are updated and reviewed annually. School Resource Officers in each attendance area are trained to respond to our schools, including in crisis situations. We will continue to collaborate with local agencies and review internally how we can keep FUSD a safe place for all.
As a community, we will continue to work together to keep our students and school community safe. If you are aware of anything that doesn’t seem safe, please say something right away to your school administrator, or contact law enforcement directly. If you see something, say something.
My heartfelt condolences are with the families and community grieving this terrible loss of life.
Sincerely,
CJ Cammack
Superintendent
