Dear CHS, BMMS, and CLES Communities,

Now more than ever, it is critical that we rally as a community to support our children and one another. Life in the time of this pandemic has been very difficult for all of us. The events of yesterday - both local and national - have prompted us to come together as the leaders of your children’s schools to provide both support and suggestions to help our children. In addition to the incident at the Capitol Building, loss of opportunities to connect to peers, and the continued impact of the pandemic on our daily lives have created an environment where our children, staff, and families are struggling. The cumulative impact looks different for each of us but there are things we can do to foster resilience and healing regardless of your perspective.

In each of our schools, we met as a staff this morning to share resources for supporting our students in the wake of the violent attack on the United States Congress yesterday. We know many of our students may be feeling a range of emotions and have questions about what happened.  Our teachers, counselors, and support staff stand ready to provide care for any students who may require additional support. If you are concerned about your child’s well-being, please contact your child’s counselor or an administrator at school.

We continue to be inspired by the young people of this community. Their drive to understand the world around us and their desire to foster a kinder, more just, equitable, and peaceful world for our shared future is a light that serves to guide us in our work. As we lead with our students, let us continue to follow their lead and, as the adults in their lives, model compassion, understanding, and responsible citizenship.

At a time in our country when there appeared to be insurmountable divisions between citizens, the famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass said that “A battle lost or won is easily described, understood, and appreciated, but the moral growth of a great nation requires reflection, as well as observation, to appreciate it.”  Today, we observe and reflect. Tomorrow, we continue our moral growth as a great nation. A great strength of our community is our unity and connectedness. We stand ready and able to help any of our Centennial community members. Please do not hesitate to reach out and let us know how we can support you and yours.

Wishing you good health and comfort,

The Centennial Cluster Principals,

Cindy Dillon, CHS

Mikaela Lidgard, BMMS

Tracey Albright, CLES