OUR MISSION IS STUDENT SUCCESS...ACADEMIC, ARTISTIC, AND HUMANISTIC 45 Prince Street at University Rochester, NY 14607 242-7682 December 13, 2018 Dear School of the Arts Families, am writing to address rumors of a potential threat of violence to our campus tomorrow. Upon learning about this, we immediately began working with the Rochester Police Department to take every precaution: measure. The RPD and RCSD moved quickly to investigate the incident and have collectively determined that there is no credible threat to our students or staff. Lam asking for your cooperation and support. Please talk to your children and ask questions. If you see or hear something, say something—parents can email or call me directly with questions or concerns at any time. Please refiain from using the SOTA Facebook page as a means of communicating unverified information, The SOTA Facebook page is used to communicate and share good news about school events—it is not a forum for asking questions or expressing concems as it is not monitored for replying to comments. We are taking extra precautions tomorrow and the days leading up to Winter Recess to make students feel safe at school. We added additional School Safety Officers to assist with arrival and dismissal. School staff has met with every student who voiced concerns, and either I or a member from my administrative team has communicated via phone or email with parents who had questions about safety. On Friday, December 14, the District will be adding additional support and scanning all students as they enter the building. This incident serves as an important opportunity to remind you about school safety and the precautions we take every day to keep our students, staff, and visitors safe. The safety of your children is our top priority, and we ‘work hard to ensure our school is a safe and welcoming place for all SOTA students and families to learn and thrive. Our school building has detailed emergency plans, and our teachers and students have been trained in various types of emergency drills. Any threats fo our school community will always be taken seriously. Thank you for your continued support of our school community. I assure you that we are fully committed to providing all students with a safe, nurturing, and engaging school experience. Kelly Nicastro