As an important part of a crisis management plan, middle and high schools should have generic communications ready to send out to parents.
Taking the time to prepare for crisis situations before they happen can help school communities cope with serious problems. As part of a school’s internal processes that should be ready to take effect the moment a crisis is announced, a letter should be sent home should that was prepared ahead of time and modified to fit the needs of the current crisis situation. The letter should not go into any detail beyond what the affected family requests. The letter should include names and resources of community helpers, an attached article on helping with grieving if appropriate, tips on how to focus on the child, assurances that help will be available for students who need grief counseling, and any other topics germane to the situation.
Some Words to Use When Writing Parents Concerning a Crisis
It is never easy to talk about unpleasant issues that happen at school; however, it needs to be done, and done in a timely fashion. To offer some guidance, here is a sample generic letter that a school can use as a model:
Dear Families,
It is with deep regret that I must inform you today that (name of parent, teacher, student) has recently (brief description about crisis issue). At this time all of our thoughts and prayers go out to all of (his/her) family and friends.
I wanted you to know in this time of grief that we are doing everything possible at school in helping your child cope during this difficult time. We have a well-designed crisis plan in place and we are following it faithfully. Our counselors and nurse, along with other trained professionals are working with our students on their short-term and long-term grieving, and all of our teachers have been instructed on helping them through these next few complicated days.
In focusing your efforts on your child, all of us are available to give you the information you might need to help. One source in particular, (name of community resource), which provides grief counseling for children, is available by calling (insert phone number) or online at (insert web address) should you need to contact a resource outside of school. Please be sure to contact your child’s teacher if there is anything in your opinion that we should know about your (his/her) response. Also, I have enclosed an article from a book on grieving that you may find helpful at this juncture.
At this time the details of the (funeral arrangements, services, viewings, other community events) have not been made public. I would encourage you to watch the newspaper for information, and we will of course provide what details we have here. School will be in session on the day of the (community event); however our students are dismissed on that day if your family wishes to attend. If possible, we may also be able to rent transportation for students to attend (community event) from the school with your permission.
Once again, we ask for your support for all of our children in this time of sorrow.
Sincerely,
