Grieving the loss of a Hillside student

Our hearts are heavy from the shooting of one Hillside student earlier this month and the shooting death of another.

Our souls are tired from the gun violence that regularly impacts our schools. And yet, we are called to take care of our children.

They deserve to walk to and from their schools in safety.

They deserve peace in their schools, in their homes, and in their communities.

But how? First and foremost, by recognizing that students are children who are still developing. 

Coverage of tragic gun-related deaths often point the finger of blame at children and the schools they attend, but youth violence is a symptom rather than a cause.

Time and time again, research shows us that proactive investment in a caring and inclusive culture and climate is the best prevention against school-based violence.

We know that intentional relationship-building and self-awareness skills are central to conflict resolution and violence prevention.

We recognize that things have to move forward in schools, even in the midst of tragedies. Teachers need to teach and students need to learn. We hope, however, that there is a renewed emphasis on creating safe and structured interactions to process and connect, through grief and recovery, and to repair and build skills towards effective conflict resolution. 

As an example, we applaud the partnership of Durham School of Technology and Hillside Leadership, The Center for Child and Family Health, and DPS Student Support Services to create a space last Friday for small group support for both students and faculty. 

These opportunities to connect as humans must be proactive, ongoing, and central to school life to reduce the chance of a tragedy occurring.

Statement by Chris Soto, our Director School-Based Wellbeing for WHOLE Schools. WHOLE Schools is a partnership addressing mental health as the essential foundation for learning for everyone.