Dear SANB Community,

As you may have seen in national news this month, Tyre Nichols, a Black man from Memphis, Tennessee, died on January 10 from injuries sustained in a confrontation with the Memphis Police. The Memphis Police plan to release the video of the arrest today and we anticipate it will spread quickly across national news and social media.

The loss of another person of color at the hands of police is incredibly painful. It is understandable that these images and videos can bring up challenging memories in our community.

Just as these images affect us as adults, they have a significant impact on the mental health and wellbeing of our young people, especially those who face the reality of discrimination and police violence everyday. At SANB, we value and make space for our students to engage with others at the heart level.

If you need support, please reach out to Lucy Rosario, our district mental health coordinator. Our mental health team will do their best to respond to the needs of the community.

If conversations around this video arise, please provide time and space for your children to process these emotions. If you need any support on how to respond to or facilitate these conversations, please contact Lucy or Ray Kidd, district student engagement and equity coordinator.

Sincerely,

Dr. Renee Corneille, Superintendent