We would like to express our sadness and sorrow over the tragic loss and trauma the Oxford High School community is experiencing. Our hearts are with all those who have been impacted. Youth deaths through gun violence have taken the lives of many this year in Southeast Michigan and each death is one too many. In the SEMIS Coalition, even in the midst of the tragic moment, we must ask the hard questions. What are the root social causes of this violence? What are the structures that have led to this problem? Even in the midst of the tragic moment, we need to ask ‘why?’ And then, we need to collectively offer an alternative vision. What if the central work of teaching and learning in schools focused on the question: “What does it mean to care for each other, ourselves, and the earth?”
In recognition of the youth we have lost in 2021, we re-dedicate ourselves to the pursuit of these hard questions, and to the struggle, together as a Coalition, for the realization of a collective vision of a healthier and just world.
MDHHS announced that people who need support can reach out to a health care provider or call 2-1-1 for local resources to meet their needs. For more information, please click on the link below to access mental health resources available for those impacted by the Oxford school shooting. https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/MIDHHS/2021/12/01/file_attachments/2010397/Oxford%20Mental%20Health%20Resources.pdf.
You can also click on the link below to access teaching and learning resources about tragedy and trauma. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tjb3U0rZWnXZhnsSwSfPIPQ5UdIXzJU1k4ZeicbzzOw/edit?usp=sharing
Sincerely,
Ethan, Lisa, Nigora, Miriam, Sarah, Willie, Laura
The SEMIS Coalition Team