Information About Planned Student Walkout

Information About Planned Student Walkout

Dear Terra Linda High School Community,

We are aware that a student-organized walkout is planned for Palestine on Friday, November 17 at the conclusion of tutorial at 11:25 am. 

Students have a constitutionally and statutorily protected right to peacefully participate in protests. The District’s priority is maintaining a safe environment for all students. To accomplish this, we will adhere to the following guidelines should a student walkout occur:

• If students demonstrate, we want them to do so safely and responsibly. To maximize student safety, we have identified a supervised location for students if/when they are on-campus to participate peacefully. Students choosing to walk out during school hours will be encouraged to achieve their goals in the safest and least disruptive way, such as by congregating in a safe area, away from traffic.
• For student safety, any on-campus walkout events are for TLHS students and supervising staff only.
• Any missed class time due to participation in a walkout will be considered an unexcused absence per our regular attendance policy. 
• Teachers are expected to report to their classrooms as always. Students choosing not to participate in a protest will remain in class with their teacher and the regular instructional program will continue. Teachers or staff are not to encourage any student to participate in any rally/walkout.
• We have coordinated with local law enforcement to assist in the monitoring of any protest in order to ensure student safety.

Please understand that this scheduled walkout is not sponsored by San Rafael City Schools or Terra Linda High School. The District’s role in this walkout is to ensure our students’ safety. We also want to reiterate that as a District and school, we condemn hate of any kind and will not tolerate any racism, hate speech or bigotry. Students who engage in any of these behaviors or in disorderly conduct that disrupts school operations will be addressed in accordance with Education Codes, Board Policy and our Student Behavior Intervention and Discipline Matrix [English | Spanish]. 

It is essential that we provide all students a school environment free from discrimination based on race, color, or national origin, including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics; the District takes any complaint seriously and will investigate. More information is available here. If there is a concern about student emotional or physical safety, students are encouraged to speak with a trusted adult on campus or in our Wellness Center. Additionally, the District has a Confidential Safety Concern Reporting Form, which students, staff, parents or community members may use to report concerns about potential threats to the safety of students, staff and community at any SRCS school. 

Sincerely,

Carmen Diaz Ghysels
SRCS Superintendent        

Katy Dunlap
TLHS Principal 

San Rafael City Schools www.srcs.org  |  communications@srcs.org 310 Nova Albion Way San Rafael, CA 94903