Bigfork superintendent addresses school safety

As I am sure you are aware, a public school in Connecticut suffered a horrible tragedy on Dec. 14. Events such as this one are difficult for us to understand. All of us respond to tragedy in different ways. Some of these reactions may be mild; others may be more intense. What is important is that we care for and support each other.

Please know that the Bigfork Schools have an emergency plan in place. Because of this month’s events, it will be reviewed and updated as necessary. Once changes are made, we will begin practicing new procedures with students on a regular basis.

Knowing what to do when faced with a crisis can be the difference between calm and chaos. Our district also has a counseling team made up of professionals trained to help with the needs of students, parents and school personnel at difficult times such as this.

This team was on campus last week to assist students and staff as needed. Our counselors were available to provide grief counseling and students were allowed to discuss their feelings.

As difficult as it is to talk among adults about such a tragedy, it can be even more difficult to talk with students and our own children. Helping Youth and Children Recover from Traumatic Events is a compilation of resources from the Department of Education, other federal agencies and counseling experts.

It is so important to give children the chance to talk, write or draw to express their emotions. Please create the time and space for them to do that. Dr. Stephen Sroka, an expert in child risk behaviors and crisis management, offers suggestions about talking to your children about major tragedies like the school shootings in Connecticut.

It is a short interview with NBC. The link is http://www.wkyc.com/news/article/27403213ITalking-to-your-children-about-the-Connecticutschool-shooting.

If your family has experienced any type of loss recently, this incident may bring up feelings about that loss. Please let your child’ s teacher know if there is any additional information the school should be aware of so we can provide the support for your child’s needs.

Any time that a tragedy touches us, it is extremely stressful. This event may be disturbing to you as well as to your child. We encourage you, as parents, to also feel free to use our resources.

If you would like additional information or need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the counselor on your child ‘s campus.

Dr. Cynthia Clary,

Superintendent of Bigfork Schools