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Current School
Bus Route Information and School Closures
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SECTION
K: SCHOOL– COMMUNITY RELATIONS |
File KDC-R
MEMORIAL SERVICES FOR SCHOOLS
Note: The following guidelines in no way limit
the school’s commitment to provide emotional support to students and staff
following the death of an individual student or staff member. For additional
information, please refer to the Division Crisis Response Plan and Policy
KDC – Use of School Facilities for Grief-Related Activities.
Preamble
In general, the role of the school is to support
community activities such as funeral services, memorial services, etc. There is
increasing pressure being put on schools to become the central location of
formal grieving activities for students. This trend should generally be
resisted. While the school has a role to support the emotional needs of both
students and staff during a death or tragedy, the School Crisis Response Team
should keep in mind the following in their consideration as to what is
appropriate:
 | There will undoubtedly be a comparison of memorial efforts by the school(s).
This can lead to contention and rancor just when it is not needed. Thus, all
school memorial activities must be seen as establishing a reasonable
precedent that may be continued when other school-related deaths occur. |
| School-based memorial activities may be mistakenly interpreted as
indicating a tacit attempt to end the grief process, when the school should
be signaling that the grief and healing process can go on for as long as
necessary to facilitate optimal recovery. |
| School-based memorial activities, particularly at the Junior and Senior
High level, can easily lead to non-sanctioned activities by students (e.g.
‘goodbye’ mural on a gym wall, creation of a ‘shrine’ at the student’s
locker, etc.) The potential for unnecessary conflict with students at a very
vulnerable and emotionally laden time is extremely high. |
| School-based memorial activities can lead to secondary emotional trauma
for vulnerable staff and students who are expected to use those same school
facilities after the memorial event. |
| Memorials following a suicide must not occur as they have been shown to
elevate the risk that other vulnerable students may make an attempt. |
Acceptable Activities
The following are simply representative of activities
that schools may choose to do in remembering an individual:
| School representation at community funerals, community memorial
activities, etc. |
| Brief remembrances attached to other school activities such as a ‘minute
of silence’ the morning of the scheduled funeral, etc. |
| ‘Living’ activities such as planting a tree, raising money for a
charity linked to the student’s interests, etc. |
| Special memorial notice in the school yearbook. |
| Flowers and/or cards of condolence from the school, students, classrooms,
etc. |
Requests for Exceptions
In situations involving violent death, multiple
deaths, and other extraordinary circumstances, the school may feel the need to
support its students in ways different than those listed above. In such
circumstances, the School Crisis Response Team must consult with the Division
Crisis Response Team before proceeding.
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