Samuel Bogdanove praises community for supporting 2018 bond that funded security improvements within district
Holly Dillemuth, Ashland.news
Ashland School District Superintendent Samuel Bogdanove shared words of solidarity this week with local families and community members in an online statement released Wednesday.
The message was shared online following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, where a gunman killed 19 children and two adults in a heinous and gruesome attack on Tuesday. The shooter also shot his own grandmother in the face prior to taking the lives of students and two teachers.
“Today we mourn the loss of more lives in the latest mass school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas,” Bogdanove said in the statement in the district’s online newsletter. “The murder of children and educators is an incomprehensible reality of our times. I know some of us have direct experience with gun violence. I also know that all of us feel the loss of the lives at Robb Elementary and the erosion of the sanctity of the classroom and school house. All of us want communities and schools that are safe places to live, learn and connect.
“Today let us mourn and let us cherish,” he added. “Today let us remember this is all of us.”
Bogdanove directed students and their parents to resources compiled by Ashland School District counselor Diane Berry and the district’s mental and behavioral health team to assist parents and guardians in talking with their children (“Talking to Children about School Violence For Teachers and Parents,” “15 Tips for Talking with Children About School Violence — English,” “15 Tips for Talking with Children About School Violence — Spanish,” “Parent Guidelines for Helping Youth after the Recent Shooting”).
“If there are ways we can support your child, please reach out to your child’s teacher, school counselor or principal,” Bogdanove said.
Bogdanove also shared gratitude to those in the Ashland community for the passage of the school bond in 2018.
“Through the resources provided by the bond, we are making several security enhancements at all sites,” Bogdanove said.
“We remain in a continuous evaluation and improvement cycle on all areas of safety and security while maintaining campuses that support learning and connecting. Safety is and must remain our first priority.”
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