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PITTSBURGH (Newsradio 1020 KDKA) - Antwon Rose II was an honor student at Woodland Hills High School before he was fatally shot in East Pittsburgh by then Officer Michael Rosfeld last June.
Rosfeld is currently on trial, charged with homicide in the June 19 death of Rose.
The shooting and trial has garnered national attention but for the students and staff at Woodland Hills, they are still dealing with the loss of one of their own.
Woodland Hills principal Dr. Phillip Woods tells KDKA Radio’s Lynne Hayes-Freeland with all of the protests that happened over the summer and so many of Rose’s friends attending the school ,they are planning for what could happen at the end of the trial but as of now, day to day activities remain the same.
“We have been working throughout the year with different entities of the community, community leaders, religious leaders,” said Woods.
Woods adds one of the things that have helped the most has been once a week talks in the class room called “restorative circles”, where students discuss the week’s events.
“The restorative circles provide opportunity for a non-judgmental, free from discipline (discussion),” said Woods. “The students have a right to express their feelings . . . and then you set the norms at the beginning of the circle, everyone’s opinion is respected. What’s discussed in the circle stays in the circle and then most importantly (respect) the talking piece so everybody has an opportunity to be heard.”
Woods also plans to have Father Paul Abernathy’s Trauma Response Team van on hand the day of the verdict so students have another place to go.
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