Dear New Rochelle Community,
I write to you with tremendous sadness as we mourn the loss of a young man from our New Rochelle community. I offer my condolences to the family and friends who are suffering the pain and shock of losing a loved one far too soon. My sympathies also go to all in our New Rochelle family who have known and shared in the life of this youth.
Violence has once again shaken our community, and perhaps reopened old wounds. An observation shared at our school board meeting last night was that this incident has cost two young lives, although in very different ways. We are also reminded of how interwoven our community is and commit to strengthening our safety net to catch those needing interventions to prevent such tragedies from happening in the first place. We have so much work to do.
As a school district, we are mobilizing our crisis and support teams to assist those who may struggle in trying to cope with the burden of this loss. And, even as we deploy our resources to help with grieving and healing, we see how we will redouble our efforts to identify those at risk and connect them with the services and supports that can set them on a path to success. This must be a community effort and we will come together with our partners to create what we must. We are privileged to academically, socially, and emotionally educate and develop the children of New Rochelle.
This moment is a time of reflection, for us to lean on each other, and to collaborate in making positive change for our community.
Sincerely,
