What to do when Tragedy Hits Your School

A Guidance Perspective

a Supplement to the Tragic Response Team

Every situation is different

• When a student die in the school it is much more tragic

• Classes may need to be moved to another location perhaps permanently

• Flashbacks will continue for a long time

In the World of Internet & Facebook

• Students know & share everything instantly

• Students email their teachers 24/7

• Students often contact their teachers regarding life issues

• Many teachers are not sure how to respond

• All of us need to support each other through tragic situations

Contacts need to made ASAP

• It is more comforting to receive tragic news from staff than from the neighbourhood

• Contact Principal first • Verify the news/rumour (admin or you)• Notify staff affected, a phone call is better than an

email, an email better than no notice• Notify & prepare guidance staff & social worker• Principal contacts the TERT (Tragic Events

Response Team) who have their own protocols

What to do Next

• Identify staff most involved with the student: teachers, coaches, advisors

• Identify staff at risk due to personal past experiences

• Identify students most involved as: friends, classmates, team-mates, interests, hanging out

• Identify students at risk due to personal past experiences, depression, death/suicide thoughts

Preparing for day 1 at school• Bring in a supply or 2 to free up teachers who can

assist with counselling or be with teachers of the student in their classes

• Free up part time guidance staff• Identify the room to be used for grieving (library,

guidance, must be inviting, food, drinks, music, paper)• Arrange for food & drinks in Guidance for a few days• Buy a book for students to write their thoughts in• Get a good sleep, eat a huge breakfast, wear comfy

clothing. You will be drained.

Start to Day One• Guidance Head meets with TERT• other counsellors out & about to greet students as they

walk into the building, • Always have someone in guidance area• When Principal & TERT meet with staff• Head greeting staff walking in later & greeting

students• Talk with teachers about what to do in their classes• Have a brief meeting with guidance staff to define

tasks

Throughout Day One• No business as usual, cancel all appointments• Have one person in guidance throughout the day, out

front, not in their office• Have one person in the designated grieving room

reaching out to students• Walk around the school, seek out students, frequent

the smoking area• Invite students throughout the day to drop into the

designated grieving room • Bring in lunch for the TERT, join them for debriefing

More 1st day thoughts

• White out the student’s name on the attendance sheets for each class

• Be with your guidance secretary as she withdraws the student from Trillium & clicks deceased.

• Constantly check in on most affected staff & students

2nd day

• Teachers should try to return to normal activities as much as possible

• Counsellors should deal with the upset students away from public spaces

• Move the book, flowers, etc to guidance

Getting through the week

• Start every day & end every day with a guidance meeting to prepare & debrief

• Continue to offer food and beverages, make guidance an inviting place for students to come to chill

• No on calls for guidance all week(s)• Hand pick supply teacher for teachers of the

student, cover the class yourself if needed

The Funeral Home

• Talk to students and staff about what to expect, appropriate behaviour & dress

• Know ahead of time if it will be an open casket so that you can prepare students

• Invite students to feel welcome, encourage them to attend with a parent, friend, or you

• Be there for the family, for your students, & staff

The Funeral• Explain to students what to expect

• Invite them to feel welcome, encourage them to attend with a parent, friend, or you

• Attend to represent the school. Be there for support for the family, your students & staff

• Staff may need specific guidance on what to say, support them, sit with them

• Arrive early to meet students at the door to make them feel comfortable

Classes of the deceased

• After a few days or a natural break, reorganize the classroom, re-arranging in order to avoid the “empty desk”

• Be extremely aware of topics in any class over the semester, which may upset students

What comes Next?

• An outlet after a few days for students to get on with normal activities & yet feel supported by guidance.

• We held the previously scheduled school dance the following week with the guidance area open as a quiet drop in centre

How to Honour the Student in the Long Term

• Meet with students to discuss Memorial ideas: yearbook page, memorial garden, bench

• Students in the cohort do not forget, their classmate is most missed at celebration times like prom & commencement

Some unique ideas• We are part of a Community, we joined our

neighbourhood Catholic school for a student who had attended their school before moving to ours. They hosted a mass on day 1. We called to ask if some of our students could attend.

• Guidance staff & Principal joined many of our students, it was a very positive event

Grieving continues for a long time

• Ongoing counselling of students

• Ongoing negotiating with teachers: why these students are not able to focus

• Continuous visits & reaching out to the students affected (smokers’area)

• Suicide watch for students most at risk

• Parent contact informing them of our concerns

• Parent info evening on depression, stress, dealing with grief

• Teacher info PD on depression, stress, dealing with grief

Monitor ongoing events for students and staff

• Course content may need to be altered

• Some students will continue to struggle

• Assembly content needs to be monitored

• Some PD training for staff ay present special challenges ie defibrillator training after a student died at school

Our students are at risk

We need to educate students, parents & staff more regarding taking risks,

depression & mental illness

This is NOT a Manual just some thoughts