Principal’s Letter to the Community 3/3/2023

The Academies at Roxborough High School

6498 Ridge Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19146 | (215) 400-3400

March 3, 2023

Dear Roxborough School Families,

This letter is to inform you of an incident that occurred after hours yesterday. After students were already dismissed, at 5:58 p.m. a community member found a firearm near the brushy area of the

Roxborough/Gorgas Park Softball Field and reported it to the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD). PPD recovered the firearm and are currently investigating with the Office of School Safety. The possession of firearms or any other weapon by anyone – whether they are associated with school or not – on school property is not tolerated by the District.

We have many safety layers in place to deter and prevent weapons from making their way into our school, including our scanners, metal detectors and daily School Safety Officer perimeter checks. In an effort to further secure the property beyond the walls of our school, we are implementing random canine perimeter checks with the support of PPD.

We encourage our families to speak with their children about the gun violence issues our City faces. The School District of Philadelphia values the safety of our students and staff and works to create a safe and nurturing school community. We will continue to put in place safety measures that keep our students safe, and we encourage you to continue speaking with your children about the role they play in keeping our schools safe. Individuals can submit an anonymous tip through Safe2Say Something, a youth violence prevention program run by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Tips can be submitted through the website, www.safe2saypa.org or by calling Safe2Say at 1-844-723-2729.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns by calling the main office at 215-400-3400. Thank you for your continued support of the students at The Academies at Roxborough High School.

Sincerely,
Kristin Williams Smalley
Principal
Academies at Roxborough High School

Printable PDF of this letter: Roxborough Letter 03_03_23