Helpful Tips for School Staff and Parents/Guardians Depending on the age of the child, the following steps may be used to alleviate some of the stress of a traumatic event: Allow for more physical activity. • Allow students to express their feelings and retelling of the event. • Consider not requiring any test completion for at least one week. • Do not to be generalized. If they are angry with someone for • allow “hate feelings” the event, staff should discuss their feelings toward specific people, but not generalize these feelings to a larger group. Encourage the students to help in the recovery efforts. • Give physical comfort. • If a child becomes angry, take them aside to help them calm down. • Lessen the requirements in and out of the classroom. • Reassure students that their responses are normal and it will get better with time. • Re-establish comfortable routines. • Rehearse safety plans for future traumatic events. • Reinforce the idea that they are safe. • Repetition student may need to hear things multiple times before being able to • – understand it. Staff should and communicate with each other about • monitor students’ reactions what they are witnessing. Stop rumors and give actual facts when asked and help them understand the event. • Simple terms should be used when discussing the facts. School Safety Planning Toolkit; Safe Schools Planning Source: “All-Hazards” of the Pennsylvania Safe Schools Advisory Committee; June, 2009.
Helpful Tips for School Staff and Parents/Guardians Depending on the age of the child, the following steps may be used to alleviate some of the stress of a traumatic event: • Allow for more physical activity. • Allow students to express their feelings and retelling of the event. • Consider not requiring any test completion for at least one week. • Do not allow “hate feelings” to be generalized. If they are angry with someone for the event, staff should discuss their feelings toward specific people, but not generalize these feelings to a larger group. • Encourage the students to help in the recovery efforts. • Give physical comfort. • If a child becomes angry, take them aside to help them calm down. • Lessen the requirements in and out of the classroom. • Reassure students that their responses are normal and it will get better with time. • Re-establish comfortable routines. • Rehearse safety plans for future traumatic events. • Reinforce the idea that they are safe. • Repetition – student may need to hear things multiple times before being able to understand it. • Staff should monitor students’ reactions and communicate with each other about what they are witnessing. • Stop rumors and give actual facts when asked and help them understand the event. Simple terms should be used when discussing the facts. Source: “All-Hazards” School Safety Planning Toolkit; Safe Schools Planning of the Pennsylvania Safe Schools Advisory Committee; June, 2009.
Helpful%20Tips%20for%20School%20Staff%20and%20Parents.docx