Peabody Superintendent: Safety 'No. 1 Priority' After Texas Shooting

Peabody MA

25 May, 2022

10:49 AM

Description

PEABODY, MA — Peabody Superintendent Josh Vadala said keeping students physically and emotionally safe is a top priority for the district following the latest school shooting in America that claimed the life of 19 students and two teachers in Texas on Tuesday. Vadala said in a letter to the school community Wednesday morning that the district is "heartbroken for our colleagues and their students and families in Texas" and called the shootings and deaths "incomprehensible." "Helping to ensure that our students are emotionally safe in relation to the horrific news about the shooting is another important responsibility we all share," he said. The district provided parents, teachers and students with resources from the American Psychological Association and the National Association of School Psychologists. "Please know that the safety of our students, staff and faculty is our number one priority in the Peabody Public Schools," he said. "We value the collaborative relationships we have with the Peabody Police Department, our Health Department and community partners to support the mental and behavioral health of our staff and students." He said counselors, social workers and psychologists are available in the schools this week to provide any support needed to students, staff, parents and guardians. "Do not hesitate to reach out to any member of our school community, including our administrative team, if we can help support you in any way," he said. (Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at [email protected]. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)