Greetings PVPUSD Families and Friends,
We write to you today feeling a range of emotions from sadness, anger, fear and confusion. Sad for another unarmed Black man’s life tragically lost. Anger as the story of killings of many other unarmed Black people have been replayed numerous times. Fear to what these deaths represent to our students and the impact the images of rioting and looting have on the social and emotional well-being of our students, families, employees and community members, especially our Black students. Finally, confusion as to how to properly communicate our feelings in a way that best helps our community in times like this.
Systemic racism has no place in the PVPUSD nor in our society. Our Black students’ lives indeed matter. We will do everything within our power to continue to demonstrate that in the work we do each day. Today and every day, the PVPUSD community stands with our Black students and their families as well as all of our students of color. If you know a student or community member who is struggling during this very difficult time, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us for support as we will be here for you.
We are committed to creating a safe environment where our students learn to live and thrive in their community and to engage in the difficult work to help make a world that is free of discrimination and violence. We must teach our children to be the ones to change a history of prejudice and fear by acting with respect, fairness, courage, grace and hope. We are determined not to fail our kids.
Talking about race with children and adults can be difficult. If you would like tools to help foster the conversation with your children, here are a few helpful resources.
Talking to Children After Racial Incidents
The suffering and death of George Floyd is just the latest evidence of horrific injustice. No student should have to go to bed at night worrying about their physical or emotional safety. No parent should have to worry about their child dying because of the color of their skin. Our hearts and prayers go out to all families harmed by prejudice, discrimination, and hatred. The PVPUSD will continue to unite together, while embracing our differences.
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PVPUSD Leadership Team