Dear BDLC Families,
In light of the collective shock we have all experienced surrounding the recent arrest of Devin Lujan, on behalf of myself and all of the dedicated staff at the Bermuda Dunes Learning Center, I wish to thank everyone who attended our parent meeting on Monday, July 8th, 2019, and all those who have reached out by phone, email, or have stopped by. There is no script to address a situation like this. Know that we understand your concerns, fears, and hurt, and have been working non-stop to address them with the information and resources available to us. Your children, their safety, and their emotional well-being will always be our first priority.
It is our hope that the information and opportunity to interact with the speakers at Monday’s meeting, Kirsten Seebart and Daniel Sunspire, provided some concrete tools to assist you in navigating this difficult situation.
We are very thankful to the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center for responding so quickly to assist our students. Aracelli Martinez, a licensed therapist, came to BDLC and facilitated safety trainings, through a series called the “Protect Yourself Rules.” Ms. Martinez conducted the trainings in small groups, and over 70 children, ages 5-11, were able to participate.
Once school resumes, we plan to offer the same training to all our elementary-age children who are not currently enrolled with us this school year or were unable to attend this summer.
If your child did not participate, the training videos are available online. The kindergarten through 3rd grade and 4th grade through 6th grade videos and lessons are available at FightChildAbuse.org. I strongly encourage all parents to watch the videos with their children online and discuss them afterwards. As our speakers discussed, even with every possible safety net in place, training our children to understand, identify,
and communicate with a trusted adult anytime they feel another person’s behavior is in anyway unsafe, is our first, last, and best line of defense.
It is our plan to continue this training series each year as part of our regular curriculum. We are currently collaborating with both principals at Monroe Elementary and WCS to
offer resources and training activities for children. It is my hope that Desert Sands Unified School District will implement similar programming district-wide.
Safety has always been, and always will be our first priority. The following security measures are either currently in place, or are being implemented to enhance the safety of our school:
An application for a restraining order against Devin Lujan has been filed with the Riverside County Superior Court, requesting that he be legally prohibited from entering any BDLC campus. A hearing on our request is currently scheduled for July 31, 2019.
A code-in lock system is being installed on the back gate for exit and entry at our Palm Desert location.
Cameras are being installed in all classrooms at the Palm Desert Site. Cameras are currently already in place at our Bermuda Dunes location.
BDLC will continue to do all legally required background checks and will continue to ensure that all new employees clear the FBI, Department of Justice, and Child Abuse Index databases.
Staff training on the subject matter sponsored by First 5 Riverside is scheduled August 21, 2019, for all BDLC employees.
BDLC is now requiring that all families connect to the REMIND system to allow better communication regarding events, school news, and most importantly, emergency notifications.
Also, we would like to make you aware of additional upcoming resources. AboutFamilies Inc., a local nonprofit with education for parents and children, is offering a Child Safety Program on Aug 17, 2019, and another one for preschool children. Information
about this program is available at AboutFamiliesinc.com.
It is my goal to keep an open line of communication with our BDLC families so that all our families feel comfortable communicating with me or my administration team regarding any questions, needs, or concerns.
I understand this is a difficult time, and families need to make individual decisions for childcare. If you feel it is not in your child’s best interest to return to BDLC or BDLC@Palm Desert, please let me know in writing at BDLCGayle@gmail.com before the close of business on Friday, July 26, 2019.
Sincerely,
Gayle Clark
Executive Director
