Dear Parents and Guardians:

Like much of the education community in Alberta, Black Gold School Division is reeling in shock and disbelief at the tragic incident that took place Monday at Christ The King (CTK) School. We share in the horror and grief that our colleagues at CTK and STAR Catholic School Division, as well as the entire education community, are experiencing as we try to come to grips with this tragedy.

Our thoughts, prayers, and deepest sympathies are with our colleagues, friends , students and families who are impacted by this terrible event. As a teacher, school administrator and parent, I am deeply saddened and upset by the senseless loss of a promising young life.

I want to reassure parents and guardians that Black Gold School Division students and staff were safe at all times during this incident. We review and practice our emergency response protocols on a regular basis as part of our ongoing commitment to student safety. For more information about our key emergency protocols, please visit the BGSD website.

I want to thank the staff and students in our Leduc schools for their calm and cooperative demeanor during our Hold and Secure. Also, a heartfelt thank you to parents and guardians for their understanding and cooperation during this incident.

This tragedy will impact many people across our community, including some of our students and staff.  We will be working with our community partners to provide support to students who find that they are struggling.

I encourage students who are finding it hard to cope to reach out to their school counselors to help make sense of this tragedy. Students can also contact Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868, or they can text 686868 or live chat via the website: https://kidshelpphone.ca/.

For Black Gold families struggling with this incident, the following support services and resources are available:

Community Resources – 211 Alberta

Crisis Text Line – Text CONNECT to 741741

Family Violence – Find Supports – 310-1818

Health Link – 811

Kids Help Phone – 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868

MyHealth.Alberta.ca: List of Important Numbers

Physician & Family Support Program – 1-877-767-4637

Toll Free Crisis Line / Distress Centres

Remember, you are not alone. Please reach out.

Sincerely,

Bill Romanchuk,
Superintendent of Schools