Procedure 2.1.12 TRAGIC EVENTS RESPONSE

 

Recommendations for Principals/Superintendents

 

 

Note:  Principal’s must keep all documentation of their Tragic Event Response, including but not limited to:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If the tragic event is confirmed to have been a suicide, the family may wish to keep the cause of death private.

 

 

 

 

Only the information regarding cause of death that the family has permitted should be released in any statements.  It is important that following consultation with family members, any information that the family wishes to be withheld is a wish that is respected.  Ensure the Director of Education and the Communications Officer are made aware of who provided permission to release information.

 

 

 

P. A. announcements are NOT recommended. Do Not Announce Via Assembly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Participation of Students:  Students may wish to attend the memorial services and/or funeral of the deceased student or teacher.  Talk to the family of the deceased and determine their wishes.  If many students or staff are likely to attend, inquire if there may be visitation hours/memorial services outside of school hours.  If the services are during school hours, establish a policy for student absence that allows students who have a close relationship to the deceased to attend.  Have substitute teachers available for teachers who wish to attend the services.

 

Spontaneous Memorials:  Informal memorials are likely to “spring up” after the death of a student or teacher.  Plans to handle the flowers, cards, etc., should be made in advance.  Determine the time period that the memorial will remain (e.g., a few days or one week), and communicate to students that the memorial will be removed after that time and indicate what will be done with the non-perishable items (e.g., stuffed animals will be sent to a local daycare center, etc.).  Providing alternate commemorative opportunities for the students and engaging students early on in the response efforts or an announcement about the family’s wishes may help to minimize these spontaneous memorials.

 

Timing of Memorial Activities at School:  Plan for these carefully.  In many cases, memorials can reduce feelings of isolation and promote individual and collective grief resolution.  Be cautious of committing to things in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy.  It is important that activities (e.g., raising money, a school memorial) be thoughtfully planned and delayed to allow students and staff time to grieve.  Participation should always be voluntary.  Be cautious of outside pressures to memorialize a student or staff member.  If the death was by suicide, public memorial gestures are not recommended.

 

Equitable Policies:  In general, schools should avoid formal commemorative or memorialization activities or acts (e.g., naming a building or hanging a plaque) to mark the death of a popular student or staff member since failure to respond in the future in a similar manner to the death of a less popular student/staff may raise equity concerns; schools may be reluctant to provide similar responses after certain deaths (e.g., suicide, drug overdose) in order to minimize glamorization of the cause of death.  Instead, less formal but thoughtful commemorative activities developed over time with active student involvement is often much more meaningful (and therapeutic) to students and staff.  Such commemoration is more likely to recognize and preserve essential memories of the deceased than are more routine and reactive efforts instituted shortly after notification.

 

Constructive Expression of Grief:  Students may wish to write letters/draw pictures to send to the deceased student’s or staff member’s family.  Be sure these are reviewed before sending them out.  Also, be careful not to interpret the drawings and writings without adequate input from mental health professionals.  Avoid activities that solicit public anonymous statements, such as creating places for students to express their thoughts anonymously about the deceased, as school teachers and staff will not be able to identify students who may express worrisome thoughts (e.g., suicidal ideation or threatening statements).

 

Handling Traumatic Reminders for Students:  School desks and lockers may serve as unwelcome reminders of the deceased student(s).  Consider procedures for handling these, drawing on the input of the classmates.

 

Personal Effects of the Deceased:  Arrange with parents/family members for the return of belongings that is at a time convenient for them, preferably after school hours.  Have the personal effects available at the office so that parents/families are not presented with the emotional challenge of having to clean out a locker or desk.  Have a member of TERT present when parents come to retrieve a child’s belongings.

 

 

Involve the Superintendent of Education responsible for the particular school, your TERT, the Communications Officer and the Mental Health Lead to develop a plan.  You may wish to offer the school building as a place for community support services to be offered in the immediate aftermath of the event and communicate this through public or social media.  When school resumes after the holiday or vacation, additional plans should be in place for notification and support of students and staff.

 

 

The Role of the Communications Officer:  Media attention is possible after a death of a student or school staff.  This is best handled by our Communications Officer or the Principal at the school site.  Teachers, staff and parents should be made aware that all media requests should be referred to this individual.

 

Protect Students from Being Re-Traumatized:  The focus of all communications, including media coverage, should be on the protection of students and the school environment from unwanted intrusive attention.  Television coverage of the event should not be watched in the classroom during school hours.  Information about how to handle media requests can be distributed to parents.

 

Ongoing communication between parents and school teachers and staff about how students are doing will be important to ensure appropriate support and intervention services in the immediate aftermath of a death and in the long-term.  Parents of children identified as at-risk for mental health difficulties should be given information about whom to contact with concerns and about positive progress.  School personnel should also keep parents informed about their children’s functioning at school (e.g., school work, peer relationships and behaviours).  Again, parents should be provided with information related to common reactions after a death as well as behaviours that may signal the need for more intensive mental health services.