Drawing by a 10 year old boy asked
to depict how the death of
his Dad affects his school work.
One in twenty children will experience the death of a parentby the time they turn 18. (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1990)
This is 5% of children and teens. In a school of 2500 students this translates into one hundred and twenty-five (125) students grieving the death of a parent.
In light of this significant number, is your school prepared to provide appropriate and necessary support to these students, their friends, their families, and your school community? In most graduate and undergraduate programs Death and Grief Education classes are minimal, if they exist at all and those are offered as an elective. Therefore, many school staff, including administrators and mental health professionals, do not have the education, experience, skills and tools they need when a death occurs in their school community.
The Willow House School Program provides school staff and administration with the concrete tools necessary to meet the needs of their school community when coping with death or dying. Our goal is to provide services in a pro-active, non-emergency school setting, however, we are often called upon in emergency situations. A sample of the scenarios in school settings to which Willow House has responded include:
- A student dies suddenly over a weekend
- A number of students are killed and / or injured in an auto accident
- A staff member dies suddenly - at home or in the classroom setting
- A student dies by suicide
- A student's parent dies
- A student is diagnosed with a terminal illness
- A staff member dies by suicide
- A staff member is diagnosed with a terminal illness
Mundelein High School... "I feel that a simple "Thank you" cannot express my gratitude for what you have done for our students, staff, and me. This has been one of the most difficult times that we have been faced with and you've been STRENGTH. You do an amazing job. The staff and students have commented, "She's awesome"
These tragic scenarios bring questions that require immediate and knowledgeable action and responses from the school staff and administration. The following are a sampling of questions frequently raised.
How does the school administration and staff respond?
What are appropriate communications to the staff, students, parents, the entire community, and possibly the media?
What are realistic expectations for the students, staff and community members who are directly and indirectly effected?
What are the immediate, short and long term effects of such tragedies?
What do we need to do to get back to the business of education while at the same time providing appropriate support to all involved?
Willow House services are developed to meet the specific needs of each individual school and the special circumstances prompting the needs for service. We will help you to answer these questions with better understanding, tools and resources so that you can get back to your business of teaching, knowing that you have provided the best possible support to your students, staff and community. Services include:
Staff Development - In-services, workshops, institute days, teacher academy programs, staff meetings, trainings, consultation and follow-up services
Community Support and Education - PTA and PTO workshops, meetings, community support and information meetings
Staff Consultation - Consulting with staff who work directly with and providing support to those students, staff and community members coping with death and dying
Loyola University... "Many thanks for your moving and informative lecture to my students. The feedback was very positive and very enthusiastic."
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