September 11, 2001
To: District
Superintendents
Superintendents of Public and Nonpublic Schools
From: Richard
P. Mills
Subject: Advisory:
Please distribute to superintendents and other school officials
This is my second note to you today. We must
give our students as much of a sense of stability as we can. That is why it is
important that schools stay open where possible and that schools that are closed
reopen as soon as possible.
The following attachments -- in addition to the information I sent to you
earlier -- make suggestions about how to cope in the days to come. I am sure you
have thought about many of them, and I assure you of our support for your
efforts.
The days ahead will be difficult and trying. I am confident that you have the
skills and knowledge necessary to help students and staff with the problems that
will arise in your communities.
I have faith in your efforts and I am committed to help you in any way I can.
All State agencies are coordinating response efforts.
SECOND ADVISORY FOR SCHOOLS
In the days following the tragic events of
Tuesday morning, schools will face a need to deal with the immediate trauma
experienced by children and school personnel as well as the need to begin to
return the school to a normal routine.
Some effects all schools are likely to need to address in these next days
include:
- Fear and sense of vulnerability and
insecurity
- Grief over the loss of friends and relatives
- Uncertainty about the security of the
country and the possibility of future violence
- Personal needs of children and school
personnel whose lives have been directly disrupted by this tragedy
- Disrupted attendance by students and school
personnel
- Difficulty in communicating with some
members of the school community.
As you respond to these effects, we suggest you:
- Refer to the "Crisis
Advisory for Schools" contained in our earlier memo
- Provide emotional support to meet the
diverse needs of students and adults
- Contact retired educators, as well as
government agencies, to assist schools in providing additional support
(counseling, supervision, instruction)
- Provide periodic updates to parents
regarding students and the school climate in the aftermath of this week's
terrorist attack
- Consult the attached list for additional
resources
Resources
Many helpful resources are referenced in
the document, Project SAVE: Guidance Document for School Safety Planning, pp.
61-92. This document and other helpful information is available on the following
web sites:
The document Crisis Counseling Guide to
Children and Families in Disasters, produced by the NYS Office of Mental
Health, contains important information for school staff and parents about
children's reactions to disasters. The web site address for these documents
is: http://www.omh.state.ny.us/omhweb/crisis/crisiscounseling3.html
You can also find a directory of county mental
health agencies at
http://www.omh.state.ny.us/omhweb/aboutomh/county_svcs.html
In Nassau County you may contact a special
hotline at (516) 504-HELP (4357).