As word spread Friday of the loss of life at Sandy Hook Elementary School, in-school crisis and mental health professionals were drafting letters home and mobilizing teams to attend to distressed students.
But the key -- in the classrooms and at home -- is normalcy, said Walter Roberts, professor of counselor education at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
"The most important thing in the midst of chaos is stability, especially for children," he said. "Stability sends the message that children are safe; it sends a message that children can depend upon adults; and it also sends the message that although something terrible has happened somewhere else, it's not necessarily going to happen where they live."
Another crucial message educators stress is that students are not in danger. "It's like a broken record: you're safe at school today," said Susan Arvidson, lead elementary counselor for St. Paul Public Schools.
Many school districts have policies and procedures to guide responses to crises, and though those are helpful, flexibility is key. "No matter what we practice, something is going to be different," said Karen Schaub, spokeswoman for Roseville Area Schools.
She and others noted that a school's response needs to be tailored to children's ages and their own life stories.
For some children, the tragedy will seem far away. For others, it could trigger distress from their own experiences, such as abuse or homelessness, said Barry Scanlan, prevention coordinator in the Anoka-Hennepin school district. "They might feel it closer because they've experienced trauma."
Though it can be important to shield younger children from prolonged exposure to news reports and intense images, both at home and at school, it's important to help them sort through their own questions and emotions.
