Response to CRISIS Letter
Dear Parents, Guardians and Woodward-Granger School Community Members,
By now you are aware of the latest phone threat to our Elementary school in Granger this past month. Although many of us have unanswered questions as we do not understand the motivation behind these kinds of threats towards children, one thing we do know is that this situation has certainly evoked a rollercoaster of emotions. There are simply no words to describe some of these emotions that our parents, students and staff went through during this particular incident as some may still be dealing with these presently.
As a result of our own experience and the constant coverage of school tragedies in the news, the district has made it a point to offer extensive support for our children in our local schools. This support comes in many forms and continues to address school safety, violence prevention and responding to any level of emergency. We want to assure you that the safety of students is our main concern and that schools have a crisis plan in place to prevent and to respond to such tragedies.
Each school regularly practices a variety of emergency response drills including lockdown/intruder, threats to the building, weather related events and fire drills. In fact, on 9/27/17 of this year, District personnel and law enforcement agencies from the local area came together to review our school’s emergency response practices with a focus on familiarizing law enforcement with our buildings and procedures when a CRISIS situation occurs on campus.
Emergency Response Management
As the District’s Superintendent I have worked collaboratively with building Principals to take the lead in promoting interagency cooperation between schools in our District. Community agencies and law enforcement have come together to ensure the safety of our children. Two specific interagency groups that focus on school safety have met this year and will continue to do so into the future. The first of these groups includes the local law enforcement/ first responder group mentioned above. This group includes but is not limited to: the Dallas County Sheriff’s office, Woodward and Granger Police and Fire first responders along with multiple District personnel. In addition to this collaborative group the District has recently been training staff on dealing with trauma/mental health issues. Please Pass the Love is a nationally recognized organization that is committed to increasing school-based mental health supports. Several of Woodward-Granger staff have already been through one of this organizations trainings with another training being offered later this school year.
These combined efforts of universal CRISIS prevention/ intervention strategies, crisis response/safety procedures and law enforcement support ensure that all Woodward-Granger schools are provided with an array of services to confirm student safety.
As we learn from our recent experience at the elementary and continue to hear about the tragedies in schools, it will be important for you to spend time talking with your children and helping them cope with these situations. We know that children may raise questions and concerns about these experiences.
Listed below are several tips from the American Psychological Association (APA) for parents to consider:
- Talk with your child. If children ask questions, talking to them about their worries and concerns is the first step to help them feel safe and begin to cope with the events occurring around them. What you talk about and how you say it does depend on their age, but all children need to be able to know that you are there and listening to them.
- Keep home a safe place. Children, regardless of age, often find home to be a safe haven when the world around them becomes overwhelming. During times of crisis, it is important to remember that your children may come home seeking the safe feeling they have being there.
- Watch for signs of stress, fear, or anxiety. After a traumatic event, it is typical for children (and adults) to experience a wide range of emotions including fearfulness, shock, anger, grief, and anxiety. Your children’s behaviors may change because of their response to the event. They may experience trouble sleeping, difficulty with concentrating on schoolwork, or changes in appetite. This is normal for everyone and should begin to disappear in a few months.
- Take “news breaks.” Your children may want to keep informed by gathering information about the event from the internet, television, or newspapers. It is important to limit the amount of time spent watching the news because constant exposure may actually heighten their anxiety and fears. For more information, visit the APA Help Center.
You may also find the following resources helpful:
- Resources for Coping with Tragedy
- Caring for Kids After Trauma, Disaster and Death: A Guide for Parents and Professionals
- A Guide for Parents, Caregivers, and Teachers
- Psychological First Aid (PFA) for Students and Teachers: Listen, Protect, Connect – Model & Teach
- Tips for Teachers and Parents Following School and Community Violence
- School Crisis Guide: Help and Healing in a Time of Crisis
- Disaster Distress Helpline
- Helping your children manage distress in the aftermath of a shooting
- Managing your distress in the aftermath of a shooting
- PTA: Talking about School Violence
- PBS: Talking to Kids About the News
Thank you for your support of our school system and for trusting us with your students. It is our most important responsibility, one that is close to our hearts, and one magnified even more by these senseless types of situations.
Brad Anderson
Superintendent
