Staff
Tips for Teachers
Tips for Helping Students Recovering from Traumatic Events
U.S. Department of Education, September 2005
Teachers are among the most important adults in the transition and recovery of students impacted by a natural disaster or other crisis. Their efforts will begin to give students a sense of stability, security and belonging. Not only will students look to teachers for support, but the learning process and social environment of the classroom can all contribute to their ability to cope.
- Some students will cope fairly well early on and may have difficulty in the weeks or months ahead. Still others will be resilient when surrounded by caring and supportive adults.
- Some students may have difficulty concentrating, may feel a need for success or may exhibit anger.
- It is important to ensure that displaced students feel welcomed and supported and that they are not bullied or ostracized. Teachers should make sure that students understand that bullying will be taken seriously and will not be tolerated. It is helpful to establish clear expectations about bullying and to discuss those expectations with students.
- Students will also benefit from teachers who:
- Care and reassure students that they will be okay.
- Avoid using television programs to watch disaster-related events (especially for younger elementary school students).
- Maintain consistent and fair discipline.
- Provide flexibility such as extra time to do work, extra support for challenging subjects and different ways of showing competence.
- Show empathy for what they are going through and make time to listen.
- Help them feel welcomed and part of a social group.
- Allow them to keep in contact with others who survived the disaster.
- Provide a variety of methods and opportunities to express their reactions to the disaster and to tell their stories of survival, if they want to.
- Create opportunities to do something to help others, even in small ways. Group activities such as fundraising events are ideal because they also reinforce a sense of connectedness.
- Teachers may already have children in their schools who are experiencing life stress and are not receiving the support provided to those who have been displaced by a natural disaster. This can provide fuel for contention, so teachers should try to ensure fairness and help for all students including those coping with distressing events.
Tips for School Psychologists, Counselors, and Social Workers
Tips for Helping Students Recovering from Traumatic Events
U.S. Department of Education, September 2005
Professionals who work with students are in a critical position to support displaced families as well as their teachers and administrators.
- While some displaced students may want to spend time with each other even though they aren't at the same grade level, by sitting together at lunch or in assemblies, it's important for educators to ensure that the school is not unnecessarily separating these students from their peers.
- Educators can help the school find ways to express the value contributed by all of its students, not just those who succeed academically and athletically.
- Staff members should try to keep red tape to a minimum whenever possible, realizing that school will be the place many families gain access to social services.
- School leaders should realize that not all students who arrive will have significant adjustment difficulties and a few will have very delayed responses.
- Children who have experienced a great loss will still often benefit by feeling like they can give to others less fortunate than themselves. School leaders should consider activities that allow them to help others in need.
- Educators should provide an in-service training program for school staff on the warning signs of serious crisis reactions and make certain that a referral process has been established and is understood by teachers and other staff members.
- Educators should create ways to help all families, not just the new families, to have social time together. Establishing these opportunities can be a helpful way of disseminating important information and ensuring that community support is provided.
- Educators should be mindful of the significant needs of all students, not just those affected by the disaster.
- Educators should work with community mental health service providers to help ensure a variety of services are available to students in need.
Tips for Coaches
Tips for Helping Students Recovering from Traumatic Events
U.S. Department of Education, September 2005
Coaches hold an influential position in the lives of the nation's youths. For some students, sports can offer the opportunity to connect with others, to succeed in activities that require athletic skills and concentration, to temporarily escape disaster-related problems and to find a sense of normalcy.
- Coaches should consider ways for displaced students to play on sports teams. If fall teams are already formed, they may want to encourage new students to participate in intramural teams or to try out for winter sports. Coaches may want to consider creating new intramural teams, if necessary, and perhaps encourage players on competitive teams to serve as mentors, assistant coaches or referees for intramural leagues.
- Students often look up to coaches as role models. School leaders can identify ways for coaches to help new students feel welcome and promote their acceptance by other students in school.
- The role of a coach and the context of athletics are ideal for building trust between students and adults. This can be particularly important for displaced students who may feel vulnerable. Coaches should let new students know that they are there to help them and are willing to listen if they would like to talk.
- Coaches should be observant of new students' behaviors, as they may be able to identify signs of serious distress; if they do, then coaches should seek help for the student from administrators or school counselors.
- The school may want to offer informal pickup games after school. Members of the community can help with this effort.
- School leaders can support informal mentoring opportunities related to sports to connect youths with adults in the community.
- Coaches can encourage their players to help welcome new students.
Tips for Administrators
Tips for Helping Students Recovering from Traumatic Events
U.S. Department of Education, September 2005
The decisions educators make early on will have far-reaching implications for both displaced students and for the overall school climate. Even if principals have not received any new registrations, they can think ahead about how to handle the registration process when the first family arrives.
- Some parents may have difficulty letting their children be separated from them. This is normal. Also, while some students look forward to the normalcy of school, others may not.
- Principals may want to sponsor parent gatherings for all parents in the mornings as school starts so they have a place to meet each other and share the challenges of being a parent.
- While assemblies often pay recognition to students involved in sports and leadership activities, administrators may want to recognize a wider range of students, with a special focus on making new students feel valued.
- Staff will need extra support for a while. The full scope of challenges may not be obvious at first and will likely change over time. Principals can provide in-service staff development on helping disaster victims, as well as time for teachers to gather and share their frustrations and successes. Teachers also need the opportunity to generate ideas on how to welcome the new students.
- Administrators can provide teachers with guidelines for leading class discussions on how to cope with disasters. Principals can encourage lessons on such topics as the science of hurricanes and other natural disasters, environmental impact issues, local development and economic revitalization, disaster preparedness and volunteerism. It may also be appropriate for teachers to lead class discussions on what it was like for students to experience the disaster and move to a new place and school. However, it will be important to let teachers know that every displaced child is different and that some will not find in-class discussion of the disaster helpful.
- As with many things in life, flexibility and adaptability are key for school leaders.
Parent/Child Reunification Procedure
In the event of a crisis that requires students to be relocated individually to parents/guardians, an AlertNow message will be sent with specific instructions for reunification. School administrators will implement the following procedure:
Determine Possible Holding Areas for Students
(The actual area will be determined based on the nature and location of the crisis.)
- As each school has a rainy day indoor recess/holding area for students, keeping with the familiar works best if at all possible.
- This will be determined at the start of each school year.
- Staff will be informed and trained.
- The groupings, as determined by the set-up of each school, will be by grade. This takes the “house” out of the question. Primary is the simplest set-up. Middle will work because students are assigned to homerooms by grade. High school already has the grade structure. (Students are in homerooms by grade in the same location for all four years.)
General Reunification Process
- Determine possible parent reunification areas. (The actual area will be determined based on the nature and location of the crisis.)
- Tables, if available, or clipboards will be set up in the parent/child reunification area.
- Entrance and exits will be well labeled and controlled. (Grocery store model)
- Student lists will be sorted by alpha. Listings will be grouped into workable numbers so that each table or focus area will get similar traffic.
- Student emergency contact forms will be accessible at each area.
- Once the parent/contact shows his/her ID and is verified as a contact, the runner will take the contact form to the student holding area.
- When the runner arrives at the student holding area, the responsible person, homeroom teacher or designee, will mark off the student on the attendance form as being released.
- The runner and student will then return to the parent waiting area for reunification. The parent or contact must sign the release form before the student is released.
Preschool/Primary School: Teacher Information
Procedure:
- When the principal/administrator determines that evacuation to a central location either on site or off site is necessary, teachers and students will report to the designated holding areas with evacuation list and primary teachers’ classroom kits.
- Teachers reunite all class members.
- Teachers take attendance before reunification begins.
- Teachers utilize classroom kits to keep children calm and quiet.
- Once attendance has been taken by all teachers, one teacher per grade level will join the crisis team to become a reunification runner.
- When the runner comes to get a student, the teacher will verify the documentation with the runner before releasing the student and mark off the student on the attendance sheet as reunified.
- The runner and student will return to the reunification area where the parent or listed contact must provide identification and sign the contact sheet. The student is then released.
Preschool/Primary School: Principal Information
1. Each September administrators should prepare the following for ease of parent/child reunification in the event of a crisis:
- Break down the students in an alpha way that will lend itself toward equal and easy distribution. For example, if five staff members will be available to handle parents for reunification at tables, divide the alpha list into five sections (A-G, H-L, etc.). This alpha list should be kept in the go-kits with the parations already in place.
- Assign roles and responsibilities to staff members, taking into account staff availability. For example, runners and alternates, in case of absence, should be designated, along with student supervisors and support staff roles.
2. Contact sheets that are already in the go-kits will serve as the student release forms.
3. Notify parents that emergency responders are assessing the situation and that parents could assist us best by not coming to the scene until further information is available.
Middle School: Teacher Information
Procedure:
1. When the principal/administrator determines that evacuation to a central location either on site or off site is necessary, teachers and students will report to the designated holding areas with evacuation list.
2. Teachers reunite all class members.
3. Teachers take attendance before reunification begins.
4. Housemasters for each grade meet teachers and students at designated location.
5. After attendance is taken by homeroom teachers, students report to the alpha areas that housemasters have designated on the walls for ease of dismissal.
6. Housemasters will determine teachers who will be runners/student supervisors.
7. When the runner comes to get a student, the teacher will verify the documentation with the runner before releasing the student and mark off the student on the attendance sheet as reunified.
8. The runner and student will return to the reunification area where the parent or listed contact must provide identification and sign the contact sheet. The student is then released.
Middle School: Principal Information
1. Each September administrators should prepare the following for ease of
parent/child reunification in the event of a crisis:
- Break down the students in an alpha way that will lend itself toward equal and easy distribution. For example, if five staff members will be available to handle parents for reunification at tables, divide the alpha list into five sections (A-G, H-L, etc.). This alpha list should be kept in the go-kits with the separations already in place.
- Assign roles and responsibilities to staff members, taking into account staff availability. For example, runners and alternates, in case of absence, should be designated, along with student supervisors and support staff roles.
2. Contact sheets that are already in the go-kits will serve as the student release
forms.
3. Notify parents that emergency responders are assessing the situation and that parents could assist us best by not coming to the scene until further information is available.
High School: Teacher Information
Procedure:
1. When the principal/administrator determines that evacuation to a central location either on site or off site is necessary, teachers and students will report to the designated holding areas with evacuation list.
2. Teachers will reunite all class members.
3. Teachers will take attendance before reunification begins.
4. Deans for each grade will meet teachers and students at designated location.
5. After attendance is taken by homeroom teachers, students will report to the alpha areas the deans have designated on the walls for ease of dismissal.
6. Deans will determine teachers who will be runners/student supervisors.
7. When the runner comes to get a student, the teacher will verify the documentation with the runner before releasing the student. The teacher will mark off the student on the attendance as reunified.
8. The runner and student will return to the reunification area where the parent or listed contact must provide identification and sign the contact sheet. The student is then released.
**Students with independent status and students over 18 years of age whose parents have signed them off should report to table for dismissal as soon as possible.
***For students with senior privilege, daily lists must be checked before they can be released.
Grade 9 to Maroon Cafeteria Grade 10 Gold Cafeteria
Grade 11 to Auditorium Grade 12 to Gym
Foundationsto the Humanities Center Life Skills TBA
High School: Principal Information
1. Each September administrators should prepare the following for ease of parent/child reunification in the event of a crisis:
a. Break down the students in an alpha way that will lend itself toward equal and easy distribution. For example, if ten staff members will be available to handle parents for reunification at tables, divide the alpha list into ten sections (A-C, B-E, etc.). This alpha list should be kept in the go-kits with the separations already in place.
b. Assign roles and responsibilities to staff members, taking into account staff availability. For example, runners and alternates, in case of absence, should be designated, along with student supervisors and support staff roles.
2. Contact cards that are already in the go-kits will serve as the student release forms.
3. Notify parents that emergency responders are assessing the situation and that parents could assist us best by not coming to the scene until further information is available.
Drills
Evacuation – Students and staff are removed from the building when conditions
outside are safer than inside. This response is used for fire and other unsafe building conditions.
Lockdown – All students and staff must stay in the building in specific locations.
This response is used if there is an intruder or when a dangerous activity is occurring outside the school building. To ensure safety, no one will be allowed to enter or leave the building until the crisis is over. Parents will be notified by phone or an AlertNow message when it is safe to release the students.
Shelter in Place – This response is used when it is necessary for students to
remain in school due to such events as severe weather, chemical release, etc. Students will be cared for in school until it is safe for them to be released.
Tabletop - This activity involves key personnel discussing a simulated
emergency response situation in an informal setting. Participants are presented with a scenario and plan how they would address the crisis in accordance with their emergency response plans. Unlike the previous three drills, a tabletop activity does not involve students.
Safe Rooms
Each school has a designated safe room identified by a large red dot on a window that is readily visible to first responders. In the event of an emergency evacuation, students and staff who need assistance should report to the designated room and from there will receive help in exiting the building.