Thursday, May 26th, 2022—Dear Science Academies of New York (SANY) Community Members, parents, guardians, teachers, and students,
Words cannot express our sorrow and grief for the senseless tragedies that unfolded over these past few weeks. As we continue to mourn the lives of those lost in the Buffalo, we are now facing as a nation an atrocious event that unfolded yesterday at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Our hearts are heavy with grief, disbelief, and deepest condolences for those families and community members impacted by these two unfortunate events.
As a parent of four young children, I can only imagine what the families and community members in Uvalde, Texas, are feeling at this moment. No family should ever experience the pain of losing a child, especially in a school environment.
As a parent, guardian, student, teacher, or community member, you might wonder what steps we have in place for your child's security, safety, and well-being. First and foremost, our top priority remains the safety and well-being of all of our students, teachers, faculty, and staff.
To help ensure the safety of all, we keep our school doors locked and have visitor protocols in place; and each school building has a single point of entry that is monitored by staff. Security cameras are installed throughout our schools and outside our facilities.
In addition, we have a district safety coordinator who serves all of our schools, and we work collaboratively with local law enforcement to share information to keep our schools as safe as possible. We always strive to evaluate and improve our use of technology to facilitate prompt and effective communication within district buildings.
As a district, staff members have participated in multiple levels of active shooter training. This training focuses on what employees should do in the event of an active shooter in the district building. Schools also hold regularly planned lockdown drills to practice in the event of an emergency.
While the district has many procedures, tools, and plans in place, we must never become complacent when it comes to the safety of our students, teachers, faculty, and staff. Let this serve as an excellent time to remind all of us, especially students, that they should tell a trusted adult if they see or hear something concerning. The phrase "see something, say something" continues to hold significance, especially with the role social media plays in the lives of children and adolescents.
With these two recent tragedies, it has likely evoked many emotions in our school community. We recognize that some children react to tragic events such as these right away, while others respond much later and can vary by age. If you have any questions or concerns about best supporting your child, or if your child would like to speak with someone, please reach out to their teacher, counselors, or school administrators.
Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Buffalo and the entire Uvalde community during this devastating time.
Regards,
Dr. Tolga Hayali, ED.d
SANY Superintendent
