We, at Greeley-Evans School District 6, are devastated by the loss of children and educators in Uvalde, Texas yesterday.
Our hearts go out to the residents of this small Texas town, especially to those who have suffered unthinkable loss. Their pain and their grief is felt by all of us in the world of public education. We mourn with them.
It is impossible to understand how and why someone would take the lives of others – especially young, innocent children. While we know that tragedies of this kind cannot always be prevented, I want to assure you that in District 6 we do everything we can to keep your children safe and secure, and to prevent tragedies like this from happening in our community.
We are constantly working to improve systems and protocols to keep children and staff safe. With money from the 2019 Bond Issue, we are working to construct secure entrances at all our schools. We have hired additional campus monitors at our large high schools. We continue to have an excellent working relationship with the Greeley and Evans police departments and are grateful to have School Resource Officers from both departments serving our schools. We receive regular reports from Safe2Tell (1-877-542-7233) and other resources that allow us to address issues before they become problems. We have hired additional school counselors and social workers to help address the mental health needs of our students. We know acts of violence can still occur, even with the greatest of diligence, and we will continue to work to keep all our students and staff safe.
I know this kind of violence can be disturbing and frightening to children and adults, especially when it involves victims who are so young in age. I have attached a resource from the National Association of School Psychologists that contains information about how to talk to children about violence in schools.
Please know that your children are precious to us, and their safety is our first priority, now and always. Hug them tight, and let’s continue to work together to keep our schools and our children safe.
Sincerely,
Dr. Deirdre Pilch, Superintendent
Greeley-Evans School District 6
