Dear Wayne-Westland Community Staff and Families,

The safety and well-being of your students is our top priority. We are committed to working together as a community to maintain a safe school environment where every student can learn and grow. As incidents of violence continue to impact schools and communities nationwide, our thoughts are also with each of you this morning as you send your children to our schools, relying on us to keep them safe. The Wayne-Westland Community Schools is working closely with our local law enforcement partners, including the Westland, Wayne and Inkster Police Departments, the Wayne County Sheriff's Department and the Michigan State Police.

I hope this communication addresses some of your immediate concerns by reassuring you that the Wayne-Westland Community School officials and staff are trained and confident in our safety protocols. Some other resources:

• We have mental health community partners available to provide support.
• Care Solace is a complimentary coordination service provided by Wayne-Westland Community Schools: Visit caresolace.com/wwcsd and click "Book Appointment" for assistance by video chat, email, or phone.
• If your child needs additional support, please contact your principal, school social worker, school psychologist, or student's counselor. Here are some tips and resources for discussing tragedy with your child.
   

In addition to our safety protocols, we need the support of our entire community to protect our children who we are privileged to serve. We ask that you speak to your children and urge them to immediately reach out to school officials directly or through the State of Michigan's Ok2Say tip line at 8-555-OK2SAY or OKAY2SAY@mi.gov, if they learn of any potential threats that could harm our school community. We take all incidents involving student and staff safety seriously and deeply value the diligence of our law enforcement partners and our entire community. 

We understand that students, families, teachers, and staff will need support in the coming days. Do not hesitate to reach out to our counselors should you or your child need support. Your children are our children, and we will continue to do everything we can to maintain safety in our schools. These resources to help you discuss this with your children:

• Helping your children manage distress in the aftermath of a shooting
• Helping youth after community trauma
• Resources for parents and educators on talking to kids about trauma and loss 
   

We remain committed to working together to ensure your child has the resources they need to continue to learn in a safe environment. Please make every attempt to remain hopeful and resilient. Thank you for your partnership and trust in us. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Spartan Community today. 

With heavy hearts,

John Dignan, Ed.D.
Superintendent