December 2023

Dear RBUSD Families and Community,

The holidays are upon us and it is a time to be thankful, to be surrounded by loving friends and family, and to celebrate the coming of a new year. Our school community was indeed shaken after last week’s incidents, and the reality is, it will take some time for concerns to subside. However, due to the heroic acts of our student voices and staff actions, our community is whole.

We are thankful to Chief Hoffman and his team for their unwavering support. Thank you, RBPD! We are very fortunate to have such amazing teachers and staff in RBUSD who kept our kids safe and calm, and who show up for them not only to teach, but to guide, support, and protect each day.  Most importantly, we thank your students, who value a campus that prioritizes social emotional wellbeing. Students, your voices and your actions are powerful and are key to ensuring your journey through RBUSD is enriching, comforting, safe, and positive. Your courage is commendable and you will always be our priority. 

The protocol for school safety is, “If you hear something or see something, SAY something.” This is not just a motto, but a powerful safety tool and fortunately for us, we see that the protocol worked. Students spoke up quickly and directly to school staff. We have an important tool for reporting incidents at the secondary level called Sprigeo, which can be accessed from a computer or phone anytime to submit a tip anonymously. Those tips are dispatched to school staff and viewed immediately. After school hours, it is a good idea to call RBPD Dispatch with safety concerns. I encourage all members of our community to increase your attention to student behaviors, their social media accounts, and speak out if ever you have a concern.  

A police investigation is still underway. Prior to the return from winter break, we will share more details to the RUHS Community about the entry points to campus and additional security measures. As I shared from the outset, the metal detectors are a short-term solution until the investigation is complete. 

As challenging and frightening as this past week has been, it has pulled us together as a community and I am confident that we will be even stronger in due time. Let’s use this experience to unite and show how we can work together. Parents and guardians, this is a call to action to monitor your children’s social media accounts, backpacks and personal belongings, and keep dialogue open. Talk to them about the power of See Something, Hear Something, Say Something, so that they feel empowered to speak up. To support you, we have a variety of community resources available to support your students’ social emotional wellbeing, which can be found HERE.

I want to wish our community a peaceful holiday season with family and friends and I look forward to our continued work in the new year.  

Your Proud Superintendent,

Nikki Wesley, Ed.D.

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