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Message from Superintendent

February 22, 2018

Message from Superintendent

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MESSAGE from Superintendent Roy Herrera

February 22, 2018

Our Santa Fe Indian School community is deeply saddened by the tragic school shooting this week in Parkland, Florida. The heartache that we feel for the students, staff, and community in Parkland is very real. We realize that the events in Parkland might surface renewed concerns regarding school safety. Please know that the safety of our students and staff is our top priority, and we strive to provide a safe and supportive learning environment in all of our schools each and every day.

We regularly practice safety drills for a variety of scenarios and are continuously looking at ways to further improve our practices. We also have strong partnerships with the Northern Pueblos Agency (NPA) Law Enforcement, Southern Pueblos Agency (SPA) Law Enforcement, the City of Santa Fe Law enforcement and first responders whom will respond to concerns which may arise.  Our school team meets bi-weekly with NPA Chief Brenda Gonzales, NPA School Resource Officer King, and NPA staff.  We also have close ties with the Santa Fe Unit Indian Hospital.  Our SFIS security team covers our campus 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.  Our gated entrance allows us to screen visitors to our campus.  We check licenses and monitor our cameras located in various interior and exterior locations from two locations including a phone app for administrators.  We are able to electronically lock exterior doors.

We do ask for your assistance as members of our school community. It is important to remember that if you or your student sees or hears something suspicious, or that raises concerns, please speak up and alert authorities. If the threat is immediate, call 9-1-1. Otherwise, please contact applicable staff, Principal, Dorm Director or Superintendent.  Please be one of our Safety Partners.

Finding the words to talk with your children about this topic at home can be very difficult. The National Association of School Psychologists provides a resource www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources/school-safety-and-crisis/talking-to-children-about-violence-tips-for-parents-and-teachers that you may find helpful. 

We work diligently to ensure that our schools are a safe place for our students and staff. We endeavor to stay focused on providing a safe, secure learning environment for all of our students, and we thank you for being a partner in that work.

In a recent trip last week to Washington D.C., three of our Board of Trustees, Director of Trust Land, and myself advocated directly to our Congressional Senators and House of Representatives to support additional funding to schools for school safety.  All agreed to work to support our schools.