October 23, 2009
Dear Parents:
We are all heartsick about our most recent loss in our community.
Staff, community members, the medical community, psychologists, and many others have been meeting, planning, studying best practices from around the country, and listening to students and parents. Many parents and community members have worked with district staff to connect them with experts throughout the nation, to suggest programs, and to share their thoughts regarding changes that might need to occur in our schools. We followed up on every suggestion and have spoken with many individuals who have been involved in suicide prevention and intervention.
We have been fortunate to have internationally recognized resources within our own community. Physicians from Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital and Palo Alto Medical Foundation have met with district staff and mental health professionals to address more long range planning for student support. Representatives from the city, ACS, the YMCA, the PTA, Youth Community Services, and many other community organizations have come together as well. The interfaith community, Santa Clara County Office of Education, and Caltrain have also formed groups to address improved support for students and parents. As a result of all of these meetings and conversations, plans have been developed that address increased mental health support, the education of students, and teacher and parent training regarding signs of depression, as well as increased resiliency and asset building opportunities for youth in the community.
It is a cruel irony that, despite all these initiatives and our increasingly strong community outreach on this topic, we have not yet found a solution. I have said this before, but it is worth repeating – it is especially difficult for a community that puts such value on children and their welfare and has the resources and commitment to work on their behalf.
It is easy to forget that, very often, one can do the right work with great diligence and it doesn’t yield the results we want. Whether it is as a parent, as a teacher, or as a leader, we have all experienced situations where, despite every effort, results fall short of our hopes.
Our work to identify depressed or mentally ill students, our work to educate ourselves about these issues, our attention to de-stigmatizing mental health issues, and, quite simply, our work to love our students matches what we know is right. In the end, our effort is all we can control.
We believe our current endeavors are already providing greater support for more students in need and our conversations with experts confirm that fact. Projects started by students, such as Gunn’s “Talk to Me” t-shirts, are an example of how our youth are working to break the silence and help each other. More students are talking to counselors about friends who might need help, and counselors are checking in with individual at risk students on a daily basis. Parents are also more actively seeking help for their students.
I feel honored and privileged to live and work in this community with such dedicated and caring professionals and families. Despite everyone’s pain, I am bolstered by knowing that as we work together, our students will continue to learn and to grow. Recently I sent a message to the Gunn staff to remind them they are doing the right work. I also reminded them to take good care of themselves during these difficult days and to keep their faith in the value of their love and efforts on behalf of the youth in our community. Perhaps this is good advice for all of us.
Sincerely,
Kevin
Kevin Skelly, Ph.D.
Superintendent
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