Message to Clermont Families from Principal Salata

6/3/2020 9:58 pm

Dear Clermont Families,

Since the news coming out of Minnesota reached us all last week, Ms. Peace and I have been trying to process what this means for our nation, our school community, and our students. Many in our community are hurting right now, and therefore, we are all hurting. This is compounded by the fact that we cannot be physically together as a community. Our physical separation poses a challenge to supporting each other therefore I want to provide some resources that may help to support discussions within your family.

As educators, we strive to help our students see themselves in the world around them, and to learn empathy, respect, and understanding of those who are different from them. We spend time teaching our students to understand different perspectives that are presented through literacy and history, and how this is reflective of the world we live in. Sometimes it can be hard to find the right words to help children to understand and process difficult topics. I find that books can be very helpful to navigate through a difficult conversation. This website has a list of different children’s books that might be useful to you: https://www.embracerace.org/resources/26-childrens-books-to-support-conversations-on-race-racism-resistance.  A few other titles are available on YouTube as free read alouds, including: Rosa, The Day You Begin, The Day the Zebras Lost Their Stripes, and Skin Again.

A resource that may be helpful is the Parent Toolkit produced by NBC News Learn. 

Some additional resources I found helpful:

• https://www.gse.upenn.edu/news/talking-children-after-racial-incidents
• https://www.embracerace.org/resources/young-kids-racial-injustice?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=

At Clermont, we strive to ensure a welcoming and culturally responsive environment where everyone in our community feels safe, seen, and heard.  Ms. Peace and I value our diverse school community and know that it’s these same differences that make each child and adult special. We know that we aren’t perfect, and we are trying hard to constantly improve. As a staff, we have participated in FCPS’ Cultural Proficiency trainings and engaged in conversations which have challenged each of us to think about our own perspective, privilege, and bias.  We all have work to do, and we will continue to do the work to make Clermont ES a safe place for you and your children.

I also want to remind you that our Mental Health Team is available to speak with you or your child. They can provide resources that may support you and can provide a safe place for your child to express how they are feeling. Should you wish to receive some support from the Mental Health Team, please reach out for support. 

• School Counselors
  • Paula Treger   pmtreger@fcps.edu 
  • Maureen Manzo   mlmanzo@fcps.edu 
• School Psychologist
  • Jane-Ellen Monson   jmonson@fcps.edu 
• School Social Worker
  • Karla Romero   kgromero@fcps.edu 

As always, Ms. Peace, our Clermont ES staff, and I are here to support you and your family. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if we can help.

Take care of yourself and each other,

Roxanne Salata

Principal