Emergency Preparedness Plan

Appendix H

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CRISIS SITUATION: DEATH
 
 

1.

Immediately upon receiving the news of the pupil's (or teacher's) death, a meeting of the principal, teachers involved, District Crisis Team, and a school counselor should be called to discuss how to deal with the situation, including the reactions of peers and parents.
 

2.

One or more of those present at the meeting should then be designated to discuss the death with the dead pupil's classmates and to answer questions. If the person who knows the class best, the teacher, is unprepared for such a meeting, then he/she could be present while another person (principal, District Crisis Team, school counselor) leads the discussion.
 

3.

One outgrowth of the discussion should be a plan of action for removal of the dead pupil's belongings, sending a message of condolence to the family, and some sort of memorial for the deceased student/teacher. Ideally, the pupils should have major input into the design of the plan. The plan should be simple and allow for closure within a reasonable period of time.
 

4.

In the immediate aftermath of these activities, the teacher should have administrative approval to respond to individual and group requests to discuss death either in terms of the deceased pupil/teacher or as a more general phenomenon. This has the potential for providing a learning experience for pupils and also for providing an opportunity for the teacher to observe students' progress in resolving the loss.
 

5.

The principal, District Crisis Team, and/or school counselor should continue follow-up with the teacher to check on how the class is progressing, to resolve any further issues concerning further contact with the family regarding the death and to check on other effects the death might have on classroom activity.
 

SUGGESTED GUIDELINES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE AFTERMATH OF A SUICIDE OR SUDDEN DEATH OR MAJOR TRAUMA
 

A.

Suggestions for Dealing with Students
 

1.

Students must be given all the facts.

2.

The students must be able to discuss feelings of loss.

3.

The students must be able to discuss their good and bad memories of the person without penalty.

4.

Students must be able to participate in discussions of depression, death, and suicide.

5.

Pupils who were close to the victim should be identified and monitored.
 

B.

Suggestions for Dealing with Parents
 

1.

Make facts available through special PTA meetings, school-to-home newsletters, etc.

2.

Assign a staff person to be a resource providing information/channel of communication, gifts, and food as needed.
 

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