PSA on SSSAS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I’m a saints parent and I would have even outraged if they’d made a statement about Charlie Kirk (yes, I’m liberal). They don’t need to “make a statement” about everything that happens in the world. Do you even realize that a Saints parent died this past week? Much more of the community is affected by the loss of that member of the community (a relatively young parent) than by Charlie Kirk.

I wish the school would be more outspoken about their liberal values, but there is absolutely nothing MAGA about the school or its admin. Parents who want a statement about Charlie Kirk are truly in the wrong place.

Super sad to hear about the death of anyone let alone a parent at the school.

Students have witnessed a horrific, real-world assassination video. This is not a political opinion—it is a violent act that can cause significant distress, anxiety, and trauma in young people. By remaining silent, the school is failing in its most basic duty: to ensure the emotional and psychological safety of its students.

Their silence sends a message that they either don't know their students are struggling with this (which is negligent) or that they don't consider it important enough to address (which is a failure of leadership).

The school's responsibility is triggered by the impact of the event on the student body, not just the stature of the individual. A violent death, especially one captured on video and spreading online, is a jarring event that educators have a responsibility to help students process.

The community's grief over the loss of a parent is a separate and profound tragedy that deserves its own space and support. But the school must be able to walk and chew gum at the same time. They can and should offer condolences and resources for one while also acknowledging the traumatic media event many students are exposed to and providing resources for the other.

Their inaction on this video isn't neutrality; it's an abandonment of their duty of care when their students need guidance the most.

[Anonymous]

Maybe the administration should address every school shooting in America.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
The school's responsibility is triggered by the impact of the event on the student body, not just the stature of the individual. A violent death, especially one captured on video and spreading online, is a jarring event that educators have a responsibility to help students process.

Stop expecting schools to cover what is clearly the responsibility of parents/guardians.

[Anonymous]

Not every thing in society needs to be political or viewed thru a political lens. Sad that this is where we are as a society.

[Anonymous]

They didn’t put out a statement about the killing of Mark and Melissa Hortman, why should they put one out about Charlie Kirk?

[Anonymous]

Here’s the thing people might be missing: for a lot of kids, this isn't just another news story. Their world is online. Their influencers, these debates, their entire sense of what's happening—it's filtered through TikTok, Instagram, and X. And right now, those spaces are flooded with all kinds of hatred.

Algorithms aren't designed to help them grieve or process trauma; they're designed to keep them watching. That can mean pushing them into darker corners, feeding them anger, or drowning them in misinformation. The school wouldn't ignore a fight in the hallway; this is a digital fight happening right in their pockets, and it’s just as disruptive.

The difference between this and other tragedies—as awful as they are—is connection. A school shooting or a crime like what happened to the Hortmans is a horrific event that we all mourn together, but for most students, the victims are strangers to our teens.
Charlie Kirk was not a stranger to most teens. For many students, especially those leaning conservative, he wasn’t an abstraction. They didn’t just know his name; they knew his voice. They watched his debates, they followed his content. They had opinions about him. That creates a personal connection—even for those who disagreed with him. His death doesn’t just feel like a tragedy; for some, it feels like an attack on a worldview. It makes them wonder if their own beliefs could make them a target.

That’s why the school’s role isn’t to make a political statement. It’s to be a steady hand. It’s saying: “We know something disturbing and violent happened online. Many of you have seen things that are upsetting and hard to forget. That’s normal. We’re here to talk, and here are people who can help.”

That simple act does something crucial: it pulls them out of the toxic online echo chamber and tells them they’re not alone. It teaches them that the healthy response to something like this isn’t to spiral online or bury it—it’s to talk about it. If we don’t do that, we’re failing them when they need support and acceptance no matter if they lean right or left.

[Anonymous]

Please take your Charlie Kirk talking points to the politics forum where they belong. Do not hijack this thread. This isn’t the appropriate forum for this discussion and you know it.

[Anonymous]

it is totally appropriate because it involves a private independent school and we do know that...

[Anonymous]

SSSAS has plenty of resources for support and the students are well aware of them. Wellness center, counselors, priests, advisors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SSSAS has plenty of resources for support and the students are well aware of them. Wellness center, counselors, priests, advisors.

Priests?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:it is totally appropriate because it involves a private independent school and we do know that...

Then start your own thread on the private school forum on this topic for SSSAS. You’re hijacking the thread. This isn’t an all topic thread.

[Anonymous]

The same people that walked around after the election asking kids if they were OK or if they needed to talk assuming everyone was upset or sad. My son had to hide his smile and not act happy that a Republican won because only the left-leaning students were allowed to have any thoughts or feelings about the election. I don’t see any kids going up to any of those staff members for any sort of support. They wouldn’t feel safe talking to them or accepted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SSSAS has plenty of resources for support and the students are well aware of them. Wellness center, counselors, priests, advisors.

Priests?

It’s an episcopal school. It has episcopal priests, yes.

[Anonymous]

It is an Episcopalian school, but you wouldn’t really know it, sadly. I don’t see a lot of priests running around, but I see chaplains.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is an Episcopalian school, but you wouldn’t really know it, sadly. I don’t see a lot of priests running around, but I see chaplains.

Chaplain is a job title. The chaplains are ordained priests.