M-W initiates student and parent forums following two student deaths

CENTRAL VALLEY - The Monroe-Woodbury School District is addressing the unexpected deaths of two high school students within the past two weeks with parent forums and student assemblies beginning next week. Speakers are in the process of being confirmed, according to District Superintendent Edward Mehrhof on Wednesday night, and the plan is to begin holding parent forums for both high school and middle school parents during the week of Jan. 24 in the evening. Because speakers are being finalized, he asked parents to check the district’s Web site (www.mw.k12.ny.us) for updates beginning Friday afternoon to find out actual dates and times. Mehrhof also said he plans to send an automated voice mail to all district parents - similar to the automated telephone calls made to homes to announce snow days - alerting them that details have been posted on the Web site. Working with state and county officials The topics will focus on dealing with adolescent issues and parenting during difficult times, he said, noting he did expect a good portion of time to be spent on suicide prevention and related issues. In a letter posted on the district’s Web site Wednesday evening, David Bernsley, the high school principal, wrote: “We are aware that incidences of teen depression and suicide are very real and have affected schools and communities across the country. Parents, teachers and friends are often faced with confusion and questions about this issue, such as 'Why didn’t I know?’ or 'What could I have done to prevent it?’ All experts agree that the first step in addressing these questions is creating awareness about the issue.” In his letter, Bernsley said district and high school officials are working in close collaboration with experts from the New York State Office of Suicide Prevention Initiatives, the Suicide Prevention Center of New York State, local chapters of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and members of the county Suicide Prevention Task Force. “In response to these tragedies, we are immediately implementing a comprehensive plan, one that evolves from the advice of many mental health professionals in the community, and our own professional experiences,” wrote Bernsley. Assemblies next week and the week after Middle school student assemblies will also begin next week, Mehrhof said. The plan is to handle these assemblies in each of the four “houses” at the middle school so as to have a smaller number of students at each meeting. The high school assemblies will begin the week of Jan. 31, Mehrhof said, and will also be held in “house” groupings there also. Mehrhof wanted high school assemblies to begin the week of Jan. 24 as well, but the delay is due to New York State mandated Regents exams which also begin next week. That means high school students only need to come to school during the days they have exams. He stressed the distinct was hoping to begin high school assemblies earlier but Regent exam dates are set by New York State and can’t be changed. The full high school student body will be back in classes starting Jan. 31. And, he said, as much as the district would have wanted to hold meetings this week, with the snow day this past Tuesday and the expected snow day to take place today, there was not enough time to organize parent and student gatherings with only two days of school being in session this week. In a letter to district families posted on the Monroe-Woodbury’s Web site Wednesday night, Mehrhof encouraged parents and students to reach out to the principals and guidance counselors at all eight schools if they need assistance in dealing with recent events or any other serious matters affecting their families. And, similar to members of the community who have posted messages of prayers and condolences on social networking sites, Mehrhof added his own. “Please join with me in thought and prayer for the families and people,” he wrote, “touched by our recent losses.” M-W Superintendent of Schools Edward J. Mehrhof letter to parents and guardians As you are aware, our school community has been deeply saddened by the recent loss of two Monroe-Woodbury High School students. It is extremely difficult to understand and reconcile sudden child and adolescent death. For both adults and students, grief is a highly emotional experience that can include fear, anger, despair, guilt, numbness, agitation and sorrow. While the High School atmosphere is sad and subdued for most students and staff, it is true that one can never predict the length of the grieving process. All of the emotional responses described above can be a normal part of grieving; however, the normal reactions exhibited by children may vary significantly depending upon their age and developmental level. The (resource links listed on this page) are drawn from leading authorities on grief and bereavement and are provided as guidelines for what can be expected and examples of what has proven to be helpful in assisting children and adolescents during this admittedly very difficult period of time. You will also find a listing of Orange County support services available to assist individuals and families in dealing with a variety of issues. The district is planning a series of student assemblies and parent forums to provide assistance with the difficult issues we are facing. We will soon be posting the dates of these assemblies and forums on our web site (www.mw.k12.ny.us). In addition, if you believe the District can be of any assistance or if you have any questions about this or any other serious matter facing you or your family, I encourage you to contact your child’s building principal for grades K-5 and your child’s guidance counselor for grades 6-12. Please join with me in thought and prayer for the families and people touched by our recent losses. M-W High School Principal David Bernsley letter to parents and guardians As you may be aware, our Monroe-Woodbury High School community has been deeply affected by the deaths of two of our students. We have also received several reports of other students in the community who are in crisis. Needless to say, we are very concerned for our students and their families whose safety and emotional well-being we are addressing. Currently, we are working in close collaboration with experts from the N.Y.S. Office of Suicide Prevention Initiatives, the Suicide Prevention Center of N.Y.S., local chapters of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and members of the county Suicide Prevention Task Force. We are aware that incidences of teen depression and suicide are very real and have affected schools and communities across the country. Parents, teachers and friends are often faced with confusion and questions about this issue, such as “Why didn’t I know?” or “What could I have done to prevent it?” All experts agree that the first step in addressing these questions is creating awareness about the issue. In response to these tragedies, we are immediately implementing a comprehensive plan, one that evolves from the advice of many mental health professionals in the community and our own professional experiences. We have already assembled a team of administrators, counselors, psychologists, teen suicide experts, mental health professionals and teachers, who will be continuously available to work with grieving students, parents and staff. The school will continue to work in close conjunction with outside agencies and community mentors so that we can provide ongoing intervention and counseling services to students, staff and parents. To further address our concern, a community forum of students, parents, staff and all interested community members is currently being planned. It is important to know that children may be affected by these tragedies even if they did not know the students well, and the impact could manifest itself in different ways. Mental health professionals agree that talking to your children about their thoughts and feelings is an important step in working through their grief. We, as a district, are balancing our duty of keeping you informed while respecting the privacy of the families. During this crisis you may have concerns about how to answer these sensitive questions. If at any time you feel that your child, or any family member, is in need of additional support, please contact your child’s school counselor, any of the agencies listed, or me.

We are aware that incidences of teen depression and suicide are very real and have affected schools and communities across the country. Parents, teachers and friends are often faced with confusion and questions about this issue, such as “Why didn’t I know?” or “What could I have done to prevent it?” All experts agree that the first step in addressing these questions is creating awareness about the issue.” M-W High School Principal David Bernsley

Resources
N.Y.S. Office of Suicide Prevention Initiatives: http://www.omh.state.ny.us/omhweb/suicide_prevention/
The Suicide Prevention Center of N.Y.S.: http://www.preventsuicideny.org/
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: http://www.afsp.org/
Orange County Resources: http://www.co.orange.ny.us/orgMain.asp?orgid=50andstoryTypeID=andsid

M-W Superintendent of Schools Edward J. Mehrhof letter to parents and guardians As you are aware, our school community has been deeply saddened by the recent loss of two Monroe-Woodbury High School students. It is extremely difficult to understand and reconcile sudden child and adolescent death. For both adults and students, grief is a highly emotional experience that can include fear, anger, despair, guilt, numbness, agitation and sorrow. While the High School atmosphere is sad and subdued for most students and staff, it is true that one can never predict the length of the grieving process. All of the emotional responses described above can be a normal part of grieving; however, the normal reactions exhibited by children may vary significantly depending upon their age and developmental level. The (resource links listed on this page) are drawn from leading authorities on grief and bereavement and are provided as guidelines for what can be expected and examples of what has proven to be helpful in assisting children and adolescents during this admittedly very difficult period of time. You will also find a listing of Orange County support services available to assist individuals and families in dealing with a variety of issues. The district is planning a series of student assemblies and parent forums to provide assistance with the difficult issues we are facing. We will soon be posting the dates of these assemblies and forums on our web site (www.mw.k12.ny.us). In addition, if you believe the District can be of any assistance or if you have any questions about this or any other serious matter facing you or your family, I encourage you to contact your child’s building principal for grades K-5 and your child’s guidance counselor for grades 6-12. Please join with me in thought and prayer for the families and people touched by our recent losses.