A Message to Students and the SWWHS School Community

June 4, 2020

Dear School Without Walls Students and Community,

We write to you today from a place of shared grief and pain. We want to acknowledge the range of emotions our students, families, teachers, and staff may be experiencing. The sequence of recent racially charged events has heightened the emotional trauma that our communities are experiencing. We acknowledge individually and collectively, not everyone is doing well during this difficult time. We acknowledge that our school, whether it’s during a pandemic or not, must be a place where everyone feels safe and heard, virtually, in person, or in classrooms.

School Without Walls has a rich history of student participation in peaceful protest, and students exercising their First Amendment Rights. Our students have had a proud legacy of organizing and mobilizing their peers to stand up against racism and social injustice. In previous years, our students have protested the deaths of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown, marched to the White House, and used their voice to speak out against police brutality and systemic and institutional racism.

We are incredibly aware and sensitive to these issues and the impact they are having on you. While we may not be together now, we stand with you in addressing intolerance, hatred, social injustice. We also support the constitutional principle of Equal Protection under the Law for all persons.  

Everyone must remain courageous and work collectively as a school in these difficult times. Please contact us if you need support, and if you have ideas on how we should move forward as a school community to address these issues. We hope all will stay safe and healthy over the summer break.

Sincerely,

Richard Trogisch, Principal

Sylvia Isaac, Associate Principal

Megan Hanley, Assistant Principal