Dear Members of our School Communities:

The events of this weekend were tragic beyond words and as such events always do, they extracted a heavy price.  A wonderful young lady was taken from us.  Two brave and devoted public servants also lost their lives.  Many of our neighbors suffered injuries and trauma and all of us are sharing in the pain.

One national television reporter asked how Charlottesville will now feel to have its name linked in memory to other cities and towns across our country that have suffered from unspeakable crimes against humanity.

How will we feel and what will we do?

The memory of this weekend’s events should survive as a community that responded forcefully in overcoming the darkest impulses of those who traffic in hatred, intolerance and brute force.

The message from Charlottesville to our nation must be stronger than ever before—that we are a community that values the safety of every person, the dignity of every resident, the respect of every background, the equality of every opportunity and the strength of every collaboration that promotes the common good.

As they should be, the values of our communities are found in our public schools.  Our schools, after all, are the source of our greatest dreams and aspirations for our children.  It is where we learn about the power of ideas, the importance of history, the strength of community and the right of every child to reach their highest potential.

Our schools are where we make acquaintance with civic responsibility.  The work we do in our schools must always bring to life our nation’s most sacred promise– “to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.”

There is no room in this sacred promise for hatred, racism, violence and intolerance.

The answer to the question from the national media about how Charlottesville will be known is that we will be known as the community that rededicated itself to the promise of America and to those ideals that define our nation’s highest calling.

We will be known as a community whose teachers and staff will continue to do what the best educators always have done—stand tall in modeling these American ideals in their work every day.

If you would like resources for discussing this matter with your family, we have compiled a list for your consideration below.

Dr. Rosa Atkins & Mr. Juan Wade
Charlottesville City Schools

Dr. Pam Moran & Ms. Kate Acuff
Albemarle County Public Schools

Dear Members of our School Community:

We are excited to welcome our students back to school on Wednesday, but we are also aware that the emotional impact of August 11 and 12 continues to be felt in our community.

In the days leading up to school, our administrators, teachers, and staff have been working to make sure that we are ready to meet the needs of our students. Our first goal has been to support the needs of our teachers and staff so that they can in turn support our students. The good news is, supporting students is what schools do. Our teachers, staff, and specialists such as counselors and psychologists are trained and available to meet students where they are.

We have provided additional resources for our school staff, and our web site also offers possible resources that might be helpful to you at home.

As we do every year, we have also worked with the Charlottesville Police and the City’s Pupil Transportation Department to make sure that schools get off to a safe and smooth start.

We know that these have been difficult times for our community, but we also know that our community is strong and supportive. Love is stronger than hate, and our schools and community will rise to this occasion. Have a good evening and a great school year.

Dr. Rosa S. Atkins & Mr. Juandiego Wade
Superintendent & Board Chair, Charlottesville City Schools