Schools
Message From Santa Monica-Malibu Superintendent On Protests
"I am proud of our students, faculty, staff, parents and community partners, who are peacefully protesting to affect change."
Press release from the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District:
May 31, 2020
Superintendent’s Message: Student Support Services and Resources
Dear Parents and Guardian,
Find out what's happening in Malibufor free with the latest updates from Patch.
We know the protests we are seeing in some of our neighborhoods and across the country that have followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, may be very upsetting and confusing to our students. Students may also feel scared or angry during this time, uncertain about the curfews, and concerned about media reports from streets they may recognize. This may raise stress and anxiety for students on top of what they may already be feeling due to coronavirus and school closure.
I am proud of our students, faculty, staff, parents and community partners, who are peacefully protesting to affect change, stop racism and demand justice be served. I do not support any type of violent protests, including looting and vandalism happening in our neighborhoods, nearby cities, and across the country.
Find out what's happening in Malibufor free with the latest updates from Patch.
We are thinking about our families and staff during this difficult time, and have concerns about damaged businesses due to vandalism and looting in our communities. Some of these businesses are likely owned by our families.
Our mental health coordinator, school psychologists and school counselors, are standing by to support our students. Please reach out to your school administration to learn more about available services.
Below are some links to resources that may be helpful when discussing protests and racism at home:
https://www.commonsensemedia.o...
https://www.commonsensemedia.o...
Strategies to prepare for a discussion and helpful links:
Resources for teaching about race, racism, and police violence
https://www.tolerance.org/mome...
https://www.tolerance.org/maga...
Raising race conscious children: http://www.raceconscious.org/
A list of children’s books that talk about the history of protesting which could help to guide discussion:
Recorded readings of these books can be found on YouTube, iff you search “read aloud” and the book title.
Please be safe and continue to take care of one another.
Sincerely,
Dr. Ben Drati, Superintendent
This press release was produced by the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. The views expressed here are the author's own.
