Dear City Schools Community, 

We are all mourning the loss of many lives at a Texas school yesterday due to gun violence. This horrific incident comes less than two weeks after 10 people were killed at a Buffalo grocery store in a similar senseless act. As a mother and an educator, I am especially grieving, for the lives lost in Uvalde and Buffalo and also for the lives we’ve lost in Baltimore. 

I will be thinking about these communities during Thursday’s Peace and Remembrance Day when we will honor City Schools students who have lost their lives to violence. Like the students and teachers in Texas and people in Buffalo, the lives of our students were cut too short. The lives of their friends and families are now shattered. 

Across the City Schools community, we know students and staff may need help processing these events, and we're committed to providing support in our schools. Counselors will be available to meet individually or in small groups, and requests can be made for additional help if it's needed. Supports for students will be tailored to ensure age appropriateness. 

As we mourn the deaths of so many to heinous acts of violence, we must commit as a community to peace, justice, and healing for our nation and our city. Our future depends on each of us doing our part.  

Sincerely, 

Dr. Sonja Brookins Santelises 
CEO, Baltimore City Public Schools