Dear Kent Parents, Guardians, Students, and Friends,
In Kent Schools, we make your child’s safety our first priority. We focus on meeting our students’ needs in a safe learning environment that nurtures their growth as young citizens.
To maintain student safety, we remain vigilant of how students are treating each other. We recognize and address their social, emotional, and academic stresses every day as part of our regular routines. Trusting relationships are important to discovering the truth of what students are feeling.We employ a variety of advising and counseling methods to educate students on our expectations about school safety and to listen to whatever they are willing to tell us.
All of Ohio and the entire nation mourn for the students and families in Chardon. I know that I speak for Kent students, staff, parents, and community when I express our collective sympathy to the Chardon community. Truly, the Chardon tragedy is a national tragedy.
Our local paper, the Record-Courier, recently published an excellent editorial on “Yardstick for schools needed.” With the current emphasis on the results of Ohio’s standardized tests from third grade to tenth grade, we must not lose sight of the social and emotional needs of our students. Of course, we fully accept our responsibility to meet the academic expectations of the Ohio Legislature. At the same time, student safety is always our first concern.
To meet students’ safety needs, we continually are reviewing our district and buildings’ school safety plans. We coordinate our efforts with the Kent Police Department and the Portage County Sheriff’s Department. We regularly conduct simulation drills with these safety forces, and we have found their feedback to be critical as we update our safety practices.
The Kent Board of Education is engaging in the dialogue about school safety during this month of March. The Board, parents, and all Kent staff members must be heading in the same direction together to do as much as possible to ensure safety for our students.
In closing, we focus our efforts on high standards of safety for Kent children. Our high
expectations should ensure a better learning environment as well. Do you have questions? Please feel free to call me at the Kent Board of Education Offices at 321 Depeyster Street. My phone number is 330-676-7610.
Sincerely,
Dr. Joe Giancola
Superintendent
