IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING A NATURAL DISASTER: INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS
Remain calm and reassuring. Children take their cues from adults, especially young children. Acknowledge the loss or destruction, but emphasize the community’s efforts to clean up and rebuild. To the extent it is possible to do so, assure them that family and friends will take care of them and that life will return to normal.
Acknowledge and normalize their feelings. Allow children to discuss their feelings and concerns, and address any questions they may have regarding the event. Listen, empathize, and let their questions be the guide. An empathetic listener is very important. Let them know that their reactions are normal and expected.
Encourage children to talk about disaster - related events. Children need an opportunity to discuss their experiences in a safe, accepting environment. Provide activities that enable children to process their experiences. This may include a range of methods (both verbal and nonverbal) and incorporate varying projects (e.g., drawing, stories, music, drama, audio and video recording). Seek the help of the school psychologist, counselor, or social worker if you need help with ideas to open the dialogue.
Promote positive coping and problem - solving skills. Activities should teach children how to apply problem-solving skills to disaster-related stressors. Encourage children to develop realistic and positive methods of coping that increase their ability to manage their anxiety and to identify which strategies fit with each situation.
Emphasize children’s resiliency. Focus on their competencies. Help children identify what they have done in the past that helped them cope when they were frightened or upset. Bring their attention to other communities that have experienced natural disasters and recovered (e.g., New Orleans, LA, or Joplin, MO).
Strengthen children’s friendship and peer support. Children with strong emotional support from others are better able to cope with adversity. Children’s relationships with peers can provide suggestions for how to cope and can help decrease isolation. In many disaster situations, friendships may be disrupted because of family relocations. In some cases, parents may be less available to provide support to their children because of their own distress and feelings of being overwhelmed. Activities such as asking children to work cooperatively in small groups can help children strengthen supportive relationships with their peers.
Take care of y our own needs. Take time for yourself and try to deal with your own reactions to the situation as fully as possible. You will be better able to help your children if you are coping well. If you are anxious or upset, your children are more likely to feel the same way. Talk to other adults such as family, friends, faith leaders, or counselors. It is important not to dwell on your fears or anxiety by yourself. Sharing feelings with others often makes people feel more connected and secure. Take care of your physical health. Make time, however small, to do things you enjoy.
School Dismissal and Mental Health Statement
Parents,We are all experiencing an unprecedented situation for public school and our entire community. When faced with unique situations like this, many of our children will experience some anxiety and fear. This reaction is normal. Because your children will not be attending school until, at least, March 30th, it is important to talk to them and give them explanations of why this is happening. These conversations need to be customized to the age of your child, so please consider the age ranges of your own children and maybe speak to them separately. Below are some things to consider:§ Be calm in front of your children. o Your emotions will guide theirs.o Do not share your fears with your children, but do not overly minimize the seriousness of the situation.§ Accurate and developmentally appropriate information helps reduce fear.o The most current information for our state and district is found at the following websites:· https://coronavirus.utah.gov/· https://www.graniteschools.org/§ Tell them how they can reduce the chances of getting the virus.§ Tell them that if they happen to get the virus, they are likely to experience symptoms like the cold or flu.§ The school dismissal is to prevent the spread of this illness and for the health of them and our community. o It is not because they have been exposed or are necessarily at high risk of exposure.§ The school dismissal is temporary, and they will return to school when the risk of spreading the virus has been reduced.§ Find ways to meaningfully fill their time during school dismissal.o Support them in completing the activities and assignments provided by their teachers.o While screen time is not all bad, it should be allowed in moderation.o Unless they have been put in isolation or quarantine, encourage them to go outside and be active (maintaining social distance and other precautions).o Encourage other appropriate activities that will stimulate and occupy them.o Limit access to media reports, especially for younger children who may not fully understand what is being reported. If your child is experiencing an unusual amount of anxiety or distress, please reassure them and access the family and community supports that are available. Also, school psychologists, school social workers, and school counselors will be working throughout the school dismissal period and will able to consult by phone. Contact your school’s main office to access them. Sincerely,Granite School DistrictSchool Psychologists, School Social Workers, and Secondary Counselors
Comunicado sobre Salud Mental y Suspensión de Clases
Padres,
Todos estamos experimentando una situación sin precedentes para la escuela pública y toda nuestra comunidad. Cuando nos enfrentamos a situaciones únicas como esta, muchos de nuestros niños experimentarán algo de ansiedad y miedo. Esta reacción es normal.
Debido a que sus hijos no asistirán a la escuela hasta, al menos, el 30 de marzo, es importante hablar con ellos y explicarles por qué sucede esto. Estas conversaciones deben adaptarse a la edad de su hijo, por lo tanto, tenga en cuenta los rangos de edad de sus propios hijos y quizás hable con ellos por separado.
A continuación, hay algunas cosas a considerar:
§ Mantén la calma frente a tus hijos.
· Tus emociones guiarán las de ellos.
· No comparta sus miedos con sus hijos, pero no minimice excesivamente la gravedad de la situación.
· La información precisa y apropiada para el desarrollo ayuda a reducir el miedo.
·
§ La información más actualizada para nuestro estado y distrito se encuentra en los siguientes sitios web:
· https://coronavirus.utah.gov/
· https://www.graniteschools.org/
§ Dígales cómo pueden reducir las posibilidades de contraer el virus.
§ Dígales que, si contraen el virus, es probable que experimenten síntomas como el resfriado o la gripe.
§ La suspensión de clases es para prevenir la propagación de esta enfermedad y para la salud de ellos y nuestra comunidad.
· No es porque hayan estado expuestos o estén necesariamente en alto riesgo de exposición.
§ La salida de la escuela es temporal y regresarán a la escuela cuando se haya reducido el riesgo de propagación del virus.
§ Encuentre formas de ocupar significativamente su tiempo durante el horario escolar.
· Ayúdelos a completar las actividades y tareas proporcionadas por sus maestros.
· Si bien el tiempo de pantalla no es del todo malo, debe permitirse con moderación.
· A menos que hayan sido aislados o puestos en cuarentena, aliéntelos a salir y mantenerse activos (manteniendo la distancia social y otras precauciones).
· Fomentar otras actividades apropiadas que los estimulen y ocupen.
· Limite el acceso a los informes de los medios, especialmente para los niños más pequeños que pueden no comprender completamente lo que se informa.
Si su hijo experimenta una cantidad inusual de ansiedad o angustia, tranquilícelo y acceda a los recursos familiares y comunitarios disponibles. Además, los psicólogos escolares, los trabajadores sociales escolares y los consejeros escolares trabajarán durante todo el período de despido escolar y podrán consultar por teléfono. Póngase en contacto con la oficina principal de su escuela para acceder a ellos.
Sinceramente,
Distrito Escolar de Granite
Psicólogos Escolares, Trabajadores Sociales Escolares y Consejeros Escolares.