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    October 30, 2022

     

    Dear SLPS Students, Families and Staff:


    As I write this, I want you to know how proud I am of all of you – our students, staff, and families for helping us to collectively stay strong and together under the weight of this immense tragedy.

    Our hearts, minds, prayers, and support are with the families of those we lost on Monday, with those recovering from injuries and those struggling like me to make sense of the senseless.

    Speaking for our Board and school leaders, every day starts with steeling ourselves for the next, making the best possible decisions with consideration for everyone’s individual needs and moving forward in the best ways we can.

    Right now, the best steps we can take for ourselves and others is to take advantage of the counseling services being provided across the District.

    Last Tuesday, we immediately mobilized our counseling teams and started providing help to the impacted school communities of CVPA and CSMB. We have continued to expand with the help of strategic partners and, next week on Monday, Oct. 31, comprehensive counseling services will be available for schools requesting support districtwide for any students, and staff., or family member. Counseling information is being posted and updated daily at www.slps.org/support. It’s important that you take advantage of these services.

    Finally, the list of heroes and supporters to acknowledge is so incredibly long that it’s hard for me sitting here to share them all.  We will continue to recognize them as time goes on. 

    That said, I want to thank Principals Dr. Kacy Shahid and Fred Steele for their courage; our security teams who were first on the scene, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police and FBI for their fast response; our receiving school and Principal Dr. Amy Phillips of Gateway STEM and, just as importantly – students and staff at both schools who followed every instruction and helped to support the reunion with families.

    We are also indebted to our partners and community including Schnuck Markets, Inc. who provided temporary shelter and comfort when it was so sorely needed. Today, we continue to add to the list of those who are offering aid and support.

    At this time, I want to also thank you for your support during these difficult, trying days. Please know that, thanks to our mental health teams and outside partners, we are more than prepared to do all we can to provide ongoing support. Please, please, please take advantage of these services even if you believe you don’t need it.

    In the meantime, you are in our every thought and prayer – and every decision we make is with you in mind.


    Sincerely,

    Kelvin Adams, Ph.D.
    Superintendent of Schools

    Note:  All flags on SLPS properties will fly at half-staff until further notice.