Important News About our Caleb Greenwood Family
February 9, 2021

E-mail blast

Dear Caleb Greenwood Families, 

As you may have already learned, our Office Manager, Rosalva Carrillo, passed away this weekend. Miss Rosie, as our students and staff called her, served our Caleb community for more than seven years and our district for nearly twenty. She answered our phones and our questions, kept us stocked with paper and pencils, doled out band-aids and tooth necklaces, called us back in from fire drills with “all clear, all clear, all clear,” loved 80s music, mocha frappuccinos and the Dallas Cowboys and cared deeply for her family and ours. She will be missed.

Depending on the time you’ve spent in our front office, some of you knew Rosie well and others not at all. Regardless, Rosie’s death is a loss to our community, one that many will feel deeply. I had intended to share this news once our staff had some time to process with our District Mental Health Crisis Response Team on Wednesday, however in our age of social media, I realized that the news was traveling faster than me. I apologize for the late hour of this communication, but I felt it important to alert you now in the event you would like to talk with your children before school tomorrow morning.

I began working with our District Mental Health Crisis Team today, who will work with our staff throughout this week to ensure both the adults and children in our community get the support needed as we process this loss. While we do not intend to initiate whole class discussions about Rosie’s death at school on Wednesday, I am aware that many families have learned of her passing and have shared it with their children. This is okay and normal and what we would expect. Also okay, normal and expected, is that children, especially those who have been on campus to know Rosie, will ask questions in class, which will lead to class discussions. It’s important that you know these student-initiated conversations will likely happen in the coming days and that our teachers are prepared to manage them.

In order to support adults and children who may be struggling with this loss, our school psychologist, Emily Ochoa, and our district’s Mental Health Crisis Response team will be providing virtual support this week for our staff and students who need additional support. If you would like information about this support or need assistance, please contact your child’s teacher or reach out to me directly. Please also visit these reputable websites for resources, activities and tips for talking you’re your child about grief, loss and death.

You may also reach out to The Connect Center, our district-wide support center at (916) 826-4174 or www.scusd.edu/connect-center.

I also want to acknowledge this is a particularly challenging time for all us given the far-reaching impacts of the pandemic on our physical and mental health, work and home life, parenting and relationships, personal finances and more. For this reason, it is more important than ever that we stay connected and check-in with ourselves and loved ones. To learn more about how to deal with stress, please check out the California Surgeon General’s simple guide that includes strategies we can do every day to help support our mental and physical health at www.acesaware.org.  

If you, your child or someone you know is struggling, help is always available:

As we connect with Rosie’s family, learn more about their needs and connect with our community, we will work together to collectively remember Rosie and support her family. In the meantime, please keep them in your thoughts. And please, please reach out to me with any needs.

Take care,

Mrs. Hanson

Erin-hanson@scusd.edu

916-752-3525