I shared sad news with our 8P2 students and their parents yesterday that the husband of our Social Studies teacher Kristen Burns, died this week in a snowmobile accident. What follows is an excerpt from the note I sent out to parents. For reasons of sensitivity I will be editing this post in the coming weeks to remove the reference to the event, but will be keeping up the helpful reminders below, but I certainly hope that parents do not have need to revisit these.
As a school community we are extraordinarily careful in setting up an environment that shares information discreetly and in a way that diminishes students and parents hearing about a tragic event like this one through surprise, through rumor, or any inappropriate medium.
I have asked that our staff and students please refrain from expressing comments, sentiments, or sharing of this information through social online media. I clarified that we want to provide Mrs. Burns and her daughters a safe, private, and secure space to have time to themselves and that despite our best intentions, if we post information through our friend networks it is very likely that it will cause interruption and disruption to Mrs. Burns’ family. I would ask that parents also abide by this request.
As parents, please understand that adolescents, like adults, grieve in different ways. Some need quiet space and time, while others want to talk and open up.
Some helpful reminders for talking with students about an event like this one:
- Normalize a child’s feelings
by assuring them that their reaction is fine. It is also
reassuring for adolescents to know that our feelings can be unpredictable,
inconsistent, and diverse and this is all within norms of how people
respond to a tragic event.
- As a coping strategy it is
often easier for an adolescent to write than to speak. Students were
encouraged to leave cards and letters in our counseling office and we will
continue to deliver written messages to Mrs. Burns’ family. As
parents, employing a journaling mechanism with our children is also a
tactic that can help teens more effectively communicate.
- I shared with our students
that they will see our teachers continue to teach in their classes, or
that they may see me on the morning announcement sharing a positive
message about some event in school. I told students that this
doesn’t mean we are being insensitive to Mrs. Burns, or that we have
forgotten what happened. Many adults and teens cope through routines
and I shared what while we, as adults, will continually be thinking about
the Burns family, we will maintain our routines as a benefit to all in our
community.
- For students who have
experienced a prior loss in their own families this may revisit feelings
from those events or an even stronger empathetic response.
- Any parents who have concerns
about how your child feels are welcome to contact us so that we can
monitor and support students and work with you to help them.
On behalf of our staff I want to thank all of you for your continued support and I welcome any questions parents have.
Sincerely,
Mr. Klugman
End of Week Notes
- One Week Left (in the 2nd quarter)
- Our 2nd quarter grade books close on January 23rd
- Students should be focused on attending to any missed work due to absence and print an updated copy of their schedule so they are aware of course changes at the onset of the 3rd quarter. Students who are unsure about course changes can see their counselors
- No school Monday - Recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Enjoy the 3 day weekend
- 8th Grade Scheduling
- As of today, 8th grade students have had presentations by Department Supervisors, by Counselors, and have received their course recommendations. Students were directed to bring home their course recommendation sheets for parents review. Parents should be discussing these recommendations with your student and you are welcomed to send questions to our counselors or Department Supervisors
- 7th Grade Scheduling
- Parents and students will soon receive letters about the lottery process for
- Studio in Art (a 9th grade course that carries High School Credit)
- Introduction to Engineering and Design (IED) (also a 9th grade course)
- Parents and students DO NOT get a course request sheet because all other courses are sequential and students simply move on to the next level
- 6th Grade Scheduling
- Like 7th grade, courses are sequential so no course recommendation sheet is necessary
- The one exception (to 6th and 7th grade sequencing)
- 6th & 7th Grade Math teachers will notify students of opportunity to challenge to a higher level in the coming weeks. We will also post a letter detailing this process to Aspen and notify parents. To clarify, this would apply to students who want to accelerate to a grade level beyond their current grade and it involves taking an exam to qualify. More information to come
