Our heartfelt thoughts are with our students and their families, who may be experiencing the impact of the deeply disturbing and tragic violence in Israel and Gaza in a variety of ways.
Our schools must be welcoming, safe, and secure places for all students. The resources below are intended to help students who may be experiencing trauma, anxiety, and stress as a result of these events. Additional resources have been shared with school and instructional leaders to leverage with their communities. Students and families may have ties to the region or may be subject to anxiety based on what they see in the news.
This tragic series of events may also come on top of emotions triggered by other recent events. This is a time to come together and support one another. As we lift one another up, there is no place for hate, bias, or bullying in our schools.
At any time, students can speak with a trusted adult to access counseling, mental health resources, or additional resources. Resources for Families
● How to Talk to Kids About Violence, Crime, and War: Common Sense Media gathers tips and conversation starters to help you talk to kids of different ages about the toughest topics.
● Resilience in a time of war: Tips for parents and teachers of teens: This article from the American Psychological Association can help adults guide their adolescent children beyond fear and to resilience.
● National Child Traumatic Stress NetworkProvides resources that can be filtered by topic or keyword and by audience with a focus on how adults can identify traumatic responses in young people and how to support them.