A message to our district community

November 1, 2023

Dear NECSD students, families, faculty, and staff,

I am writing to connect with you about a recent video that has been shared on social media displaying an altercation between two students in one of our schools. I would like to be abundantly clear when I say that violence of any nature is not welcomed in our school communities.

As part of our social-emotional learning curriculum, the district educates our scholars on ways in which they can approach and resolve conflict in a productive manner. Unfortunately, movies, video games, and other forms of media tend to glorify violence without highlighting the true consequences of such behavior. 

We rely on our parents/guardians and community members to act as partners in the education of our children. The partnership includes encouraging productive behavior in our schools and with fellow students. Our schools are filled with qualified professionals who students can talk to when they are experiencing conflict. Please encourage your children to speak with a teacher, school counselor, coach, school social worker, administrator, school psychologist, school nurse, or security monitor if they need help processing their emotions or are having a conflict with a peer. Learning to behave in a productive manner is part of the learning process. We are all here to help. 

We know that students may be worried about being seen as a tattle tale or a “snitch.” We need your help to reframe that misconception and help our students understand that confiding in an adult before a physical altercation occurs takes bravery and should be commended. 

We also know that a large majority of our students are already conducting themselves in an appropriate manner. Violence and physical altercations do not represent who we are as individuals in our shared school community. We are thankful for those who are developing maturely and navigating ways through conflict. We encourage our students to also support their peers in talking to an adult if they see that one of their friends is struggling. 

We each play a critical role in our school community, this includes our students too. 

Thank you for your continued partnership in educating every Goldback, every day. 

Sincerely,

Dr. J. Manning Campbell

Superintendent of Schools 

ATTENTION: Are your scholars or colleagues doing something great? Please contact the district Communications Team at communications@necsd.net. We’d love to visit your class or event and/or post your pictures and recap to highlight the amazing accomplishments throughout our district!