Walden’s Path School Grief Contingency Plan
A child can be in crisis and has a special need for attention and (possibly) help if:
- The child loses a person in his/her immediate family due to death (mother, father, sibling, etc)
- The child loses a person with a special connection due to death (family, friend, teacher)
- The family is broken by divorce
The school’s contingency plan is meant to describe action immediately surrounding the crisis situation. However, people close to the child must remember that the grief process lasts several months, and the child has a need for special attention during that entire period.
It is the task of the teacher (or the counsellor/ pedagogue with most familiarity about the situation) to:
- Talk with the child about how the s/he is doing, and how s/he wishes others to be involved
- Talk with the father/mother (guardian) about what has happened and how the school can best support the child in the grief period.
- If the father/mother is not willing to speak openly, it is the teacher’s role to appeal to him or her, as experience shows that it is important for the child to talk about what has happened and be met with compassion and understanding at school and home.
- The father/mother should be encouraged to tell other adults who work with the child about the situation. Alternatively, the teacher/pedagogue can offer to do this. Naturally, it is the father/mother’s decision.
- Inform classmates and after school friends
- Inform the class’s parents/ after School friends parents
In addition, the teacher/ pedagogue, in cooperation with school management, will inform:
- All teachers in the class
- All teachers at the school including school staff
- The administrative office
- The school psychologist
- The school nurse, doctor and dentist
- Library and (possibly) support centre staff
- Important conversations and notes should be added to the student’s documentation folder
In addition, as part of his or her grief work in class, the teacher can:
- Use appropriate material about the grief process
- Visit the child’s family
- Get help from the school psychologist
In the case of death (serious accidents, serious illness) among people at the school, it is the task of school leadership to inform and provide the necessary help, if needed.
* Reviewed and approved by the Walden’s Path School Board 1 June 2017