From: Valarie St. John <stjohnv@gpschools.org>
Date: Tue, Feb 14, 2023 at 1:31 PM
Subject: Re: Tragedy and healing
To: M Krasner <*****************>
Cc: Schoolboard Email <schoolboard@gpschools.org>

Dear Ms. Krasner,

Thank you for the suggestion. I agree that our committee meetings would be best postponed until next week. Our community members need time to process this loss, and should have the opportunity to attend the vigils, drop-in counseling, and prayer circles that are being scheduled over the next few days. Additionally, our administration needs to focus on supporting our students right now, and four committee meetings this week is too much time away from that priority.

Thanks,

On Tue, Feb 14, 2023 at 1:17 PM M Krasner <*****************> wrote:
Hello,
Following up on my email below after hearing the unthinkable news of our own tragic loss in this horror. I’m offering my support in whatever way I can give to help GPPSS.

I also respectfully ask that you consider rescheduling your committee meetings, while the community grapples with this pain and loss. I spoke to Dr. Jeff Lincicome of Memorial church who has an interfaith prayer vigil planned for tomorrow night. I’m sure there is so much more for our kids and families touch by this horrific tragedy.

The time is truly to step back and heal as a community and show our students that they are the priority as Dr. Dean said last night.

Yours in support,
Maureen Krasner

Sent from my iPhone

> On Feb 14, 2023, at 12:38 AM, M Krasner <*****************> wrote:
>
> Good evening,
> I wanted to send an email thanking Dr. Dean for his heartfelt acknowledgment of the tragedy at MSU and his simple but important call to refocus on what really matters… the students.
>
> As an MSU alumni with a daughter at another college campus here, I was horribly distracted during the meeting when I heard.
>
> Friend after friend on social media was accounting for their kids. Friends from every side of every aisle. Reminding me of what matters and the horror of the harm possible, shattering all the peace we know.
>
> I was also reminded in this that you all presumably ran for office for kids, for teachers, for giving back to the community. Let’s refocus on that. As Joe Herd said let’s focus on the students. Let’s start from a place of assuming the best of each other.
>
> Let’s also acknowledge the kind servant leader we have as superintendent who sits by you on that stage eager to do what is right and help lead our District under the broader policies you set. You don’t need independence from him and his team (who also brought forward a resolution with a weighted rubric and analysis of costs exactly as you’d want tonight.) you need collaboration with those who do the day to day work here and you need to come together with forward planning for our District.
>
> And at the end of the day, we need to focus on the teachers here, the kids here and all the support and leadership we can give as community members, parents, and  leaders.
>
> My hope for the future is aligned with Mr. Fox who spoke so eloquently this evening —hope that you will work together to find a way to make your legacy something greater. Stay steady with the education of the kids as your primary mission and North Star.
>
> May all of you  and your families  be blessed.
>
> Best,
> Maureen Krasner
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
--
Valarie St. John
(she/her/hers)
GPPSS Board of Education trustee