RSU 56 schools will be closed again tomorrow, Friday, October 27, 2023. This is out of an abundance of caution. Our focus is on the safety of students, employees and community members.
Our plan will be to reopen on Monday, October 30, 2023 with a late arrival day. The late arrival will allow us time to debrief with RSU 56 employees and be prepared to greet and support our students upon arrival at 8:55. Please note, if this changes, I will send out further information.
Please find a number of resources below that you may find helpful. Stay safe and take care of yourself and others.
Resources
The recent shooting in Lewiston, Maine has evoked a range of emotions across affected families and communities. In response to this event, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network has developed resources to help children, families, and communities navigate what they are seeing and hearing in the media, acknowledge their feelings, and find ways to cope together. These resources include:
- Coping After Mass Violence
- For Teens: Coping After Mass Violence (En Español)
- Parent Guidelines for Helping Youth After Mass Violence
- Talking to Children about Mass Violence
- Psychological Impact of Mass Violence
- After a Crisis: Helping Young Children Heal (En Español)
- Age-Related Reactions to a Traumatic Event (En Español)
- Talking to Children: When Scary Things Happen (En Español)
- Creating Supportive Environments: When Scary Things Happen (En Español)
- Talking to Teens When Violence Happens (En Español)
- Helping Teens with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers (En Español)
- Helping School-Age Children with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers (En Español)
- Helping Young Children with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers (En Español)
- The Power of Parenting: How to Help Your Child After a Parent or Caregiver Dies
- Helping Youth After a Community Trauma: Tips for Educators (En Español)
- Once I Was Very Very Scared (En Español) – children’s book for young children
- Pause-Reset-Nourish (PRN) to Promote Wellbeing (En Español) (for responders)
Psychological First Aid
The NCTSN also has resources for responders on Psychological First Aid (PFA; En Español). PFA is an early intervention to support children, adolescents, adults, and families impacted by these types of events. PFA Mobile and the PFA Wallet Card (En Español) provide a quick reminder of the core actions. The PFA online training (En Español) course is also available on the NCTSN Learning Center. PFA Handouts include:
- Parent Tips for Helping Infants and Toddlers (En Español)
- Parent Tips for Helping Preschoolers (En Español)
- Parent Tips for Helping School-Age Children (En Español)
- Parent Tips for Helping Adolescents (En Español)
- Tips for Adults (En Español)
- When Terrible Things Happen (En Español)
From the National Mass Violence and Victimization Resource Center & Partners
- Transcend (mobile app to assist with recovery after mass violence)
- Rebuild your Community: Resources for Community Leaders
- Media Guidelines for Homicide Family Survivors
- Timeline of Activities to Promote Mental Health Recovery
- Self-Help: Resources for Survivors
- E-learning Courses: Trainings for Clinicians
- Resources for Victim Assistance Professionals
From the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress at the Uniformed Services University
- Grief Leadership: Leadership in the Wake of Tragedy
- Leadership Communication: Anticipating and Responding to Stressful Events
- Coping with Stress Following a Mass Shooting
Disaster Helpline
SAMHSA has a Disaster Distress Helpline – call or text 1-800-985-5990 (for Spanish, press “2”) to be connected to a trained counselor 24/7/365.
Sincerely,
Pam Doyen