Both as you pre-plan and as you work through a tragedy, consider the following practices and what they will look like within your district:

• Calling the Response Team: Consider adding this support to your policy/procedure as a reminder and to bring awareness that collaborative support is available when tragedy happens.

• Temporary honor board: Regardless of the tragedy, this is an important piece that allows students' voices, helps with the griveing process, honors the student(s) or staff who have died, and serves as a token of care for the family. Provide a printed picture, name of the person being honored, poster paper, and writing utensils in a common space of the school. This should be available on the first day and can remain for a few days. Notify students and staff of the purpose, location, and timeline. Review content before giving it to the family. The family may choose to display this at a memorial service.

• Memorial policy: It is recommended to consider a policy that describes how you will honor students and staff who die. During times of tragedy, it can be hard to make such decisions. Having a policy to lean on helps to remove the decision-making and allows for equitable practices. Consider sustainability in the sense of numbers and permanency. You may choose to refer memorials to: your school foundation, local parks, faith groups, and other non-profit organizations, etc. For example, NAME OF SCHOOL does not accept tangible memorials; monetary donations can be made to the school foundation.

• Summer tragedy: Communicate with staff and families as usual. Consider opening the school for healing circles and support. Honor the student.

• Media: It is recommended that the media not have access to the school or staff for interviews. If school administration is meeting with the media, that meeting should take place outside of school buildings.

• Students returning to school: Consider a card in the office for well wishes, allowing peers to sign or create their own by a certain date when those will be given to the family or student.

• Student's desk: Leave it as is for the week of grieving. The following week, it is recommended to remove from the classroom after school hours and reconfigure the space/seating assignment.

• Existing student work: It is not necessary to eliminate the student's presence in the building. Consider how you could leave items like artwork displayed through the usual rotation and arrange to have items delivered to the family when they are no longer displayed.

• Student belongings: It is recommended to reach out to the family and give them the option of coming in after school to gather and pack the student's belongings, or if they would prefer, staff may box it up for them.