Dear Rowland Unified Families and Staff:
The tragic events that occurred in Newtown, Connecticut have affected all of us; and the senseless tragedy is weighing on all our hearts and minds. In addition to our need to connect with loved ones, questions about what our schools are doing to protect student and staff safety and the communication with our children immediately come to mind.
Our District is fortunate to have a police department that works very hard to maintain a high degree of safety in our schools. Our officers and Chief maintain very good communications with law enforcement agencies and have a significant presence in our schools and community. Our administrators and staff take preparation for emergencies very seriously and practice what we can do to ensure that staff and students can respond quickly when they need to. Rowland Unified has a strict policy that all visitors check in at the front office before entering on campuses. We understand that we are the best resource to keep our schools safe by communicating with our students constantly to receive information of any potential threats. We also continue to improve our schools and work environments with facilities enhancements to increase safety.
These events will most likely be seen by our students on various media and they will have many questions about what has happened and why. We wanted you to know that staff at all our schools will be prepared to assist our students in any way should they need support upon their return from break. Also, parents may be interested in reviewing online information designed to assist in discussing tragic events like these with their children. The following link has such resources available: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ss/cp/tragedy.asp.
As we gather for the holidays and reflect upon current events, please know that we are present as a school community to support each other during difficult times such as these. The loss of life and the damage that these incidents cause have long lasting consequences for their communities, and also for those of us that work for school districts throughout in our nation. We appreciate your feedback and continued support of the Rowland Unified School District.
On behalf of our Board of Education, staff and administrators, I wish you a peaceful holiday season.
Ruben P. Frutos
Interim Superintendent