Letter #1

Reprinted courtesy of F. Ernzen, TLC Trauma and Loss Consultant

Dear Families,

Our country has entered into war with Iraq. Many adults and children are experiencing heightened fears and worries. You have already received a letter from our Superintendent reaffirming our commitment to the safety of all our students and staff. In this message we are offering suggestions to help your children feel safer during this time.

As parents / guardians of your children, you will have to decide how to talk with them about terrorism and war. You will need to consider their age and their temperament.

   • Pre-school children may be very upset about what they see and hear, especially on television.

   • School age children may not be aware that a single incident is broadcast over and over.

   • Middle school and high school students may want to discuss the politics of a situation. They may want to take a more direct stand and participate in political or charitable activities related to the war.

You will want to be aware of changes in your child’s behavior.

  • You may notice they become more withdrawn or more aggressive.

  • They may have nightmares.

  • They may start acting like a much younger child.

If you observe these kinds of changes you will want to explore what they are concerned about. Ask them what worries them the most about the war. Do they have questions about what they are seeing or hearing on television or at school? Listen carefully to their questions, and give them reassurance of your love and protection. These discussions may take place over several days or weeks. Children may develop new questions or concerns as time goes on.

If they are directly affected because they have family in the military or relatives in affected countries, their worries will be deeper and more personal.

Children look to the significant adults in their life as role models for handling adversity. We have developed some suggestions to help you and your children at this time. We call them the Three C’s: Comfort, Conversation and Commitment. We believe these positive actions will help you and your children. They are attached to this letter.

If you have specific concerns about your child, please contact his / her building Principal.

Sincerely,
(Superintendent)

(Attach the following parent handout to letter)

HELPING PARENTS HELP CHILDREN IN UNCERTAIN TIMES

The following are suggestions for parents to help themselves and their children in difficult times.

Focus on the Three C’s

Comfort
¨ Share meals
¨ Plan family time – game night, exercise
¨ Work on a project
¨ Enjoy laughter
¨ Reach out to your network of family and friends
¨ Engage in activities that are fun, relaxing and pleasant

Conversation
¨ Offer reassurance
¨ Ask thoughtful questions
¨ Listen carefully
¨ Share your beliefs and values
¨ Reflect on non-verbal communication

Commitment
¨ Set a good example
¨ Participate in school and community activities
¨ Help your neighbors (do chores or small errands)
¨ Reach out supportively to friends and family
¨ Be optimistic

Letter #2

Reprinted courtesy of Allen Park, MI Public Schools

Dear Parents:

As you are aware, our nation is now at war. As educators, we share the same concerns you have regarding this event and how it will affect our students. For most of our children, this is the first time America has been at war. We realize some students have family members or friends of their family who may be serving in the armed forces. They will naturally be concerned about the safety of these individuals who are an important part of their life.

It is imperative that we work closely together to provide a safe and understanding environment for all our students during this time period. Schools across our nation want to become “islands of safety and information” for our students and for you, as their parents.

Together, we will attempt to cope with the tragedy and trauma that may result from the war or possible related acts of terrorism. As this country moves toward a higher state of alert relating to security, it is only natural that we look again at school security issues. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to present an update regarding the steps we have taken to provide a safe learning environment for your student during this turbulent time period in our history. We have a district-wide safety team that has met many times to address the District’s safety response plan. It is comprised of Mayor Levon King, representatives from the Allen Park police and fire departments, as well as myself, other administrators, and our school social workers. We have reviewed and updated our district-wide crisis manual and each of our schools has practiced an actual “lockdown drill” during the first semester. This crisis plan was utilized on September 11, 2001, and we have continued to refine and improve it since that time. Please rest assured, the safety of our students is our top priority.

Our goal is to provide a normal setting each day for our students. However, for any safety response plan to work, it must be implemented with the full participation and support of everyone. It is important that we follow our regular routine, both at school and at home, for the benefit of all students. School will be held each day unless a national emergency dictates otherwise. We do not plan to close school early unless directed to do so by emergency response personnel.

During the days ahead, you may find that your son or daughter has questions about what is happening. I would suggest that just as usual, you respond to these questions by being open and honest. At school, we will monitor the students carefully. If a student is experiencing emotional difficulties, they will be referred by the teacher to a counselor, administrator, or social worker. We know that students will be impacted in various ways. Our goal is to reassure students that school is indeed a safe place for them to be.

As adults, we realize this situation will probably not be resolved in a short period of time. Nevertheless, we must try to maintain a “normal” school learning environment for the benefit of everyone. At school we will limit the amount of time that students watch news coverage on television, particularly at the elementary level. We will do everything possible to stay focused on scheduled lessons, try to keep our students optimistic, and give them hope during the weeks and months ahead.

We want to work closely with you during this time. Depending on the nature of any possible incident, access to schools may need to be restricted for a variety of reasons beyond our control, or we may need to evacuate all students and adults, if an incident occurs inside or near a school.

We ask that you not call schools in either situation, because a volume of incoming calls will prevent staff from helping children, and will tie up the phone lines. We plan to provide frequent, consistent updates to our website and local media via emergency lines, computers and cell phones. At these times, parents should use radio, television and the Internet for information on emergency procedures. If children can be released, our normal sign-out procedure will be used.

Please feel free to contact your student’s counselor, social worker, or administrator if you have questions or concerns.

Our thoughts go out to the members of the Armed Forces as they carry out their assignments both here and across the globe. We know from past experience that our nation has often faced difficult times and has risen above them to move forward. Let us work together as a community to provide a safe and orderly educational experience for our most precious resources—our children.

Sincerely,

R. Douglas Pretty
Superintendent of Schools