Today, September 11 is the 2nd year anniversary of the terrorist
attacks that changed our world. Cambridge school chose to commemorate this
day with a patriotic music assembly and a flag ceremony. All the students
and staff attended this ceremony.
A few hours after this event (at first lunch) we had a minor emergency on
campus, a fire in one of our portable bathrooms. There was no one in the restroom
at the time, and there were no students or staff near the area, therefore
no one was hurt. The fire department responded quickly and the school took
the precaution of evacuating until the fire department released us to return
to the classrooms.
As you might imagine, an event like this, while not causing any physical harm
to anyone, caused some students to draw connections between the fire and the
events of Sept. 11. Teachers responded to the children’s concerns as
they were raised, and our two school psychologists were at the school, along
with additional district personnel to address any children that required their
assistance.
While this event was not a major catastrophe, we want to be sensitive to the
fact that some children might have concerns, and wanted to give you some suggestions
as to ways to respond to your child’s concerns/fears.
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Children look to the adults around them for the comfort
and reassurance that they are safe. They might need frequent reassurances
as to their safety…give this reassurance. They also look to the adults
for cues as to the importance of events…it is important that adults
maintain composure.
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The fire at school was a very separate event and has no
connection to 9/11. The cause of the fire is still uncertain, but it was
NOT a terrorist act. Children can misunderstand events, and draw connections
that do not exist. They will need your adult perspective to clear up any
misinformation.
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Let your child take the lead in talking; see what is on
your child’s mind and what his/her concerns really are…they might
be what you expect.
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Maintain your daily routine; it is comforting to your child.
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Do not have younger children watch the news that is focusing
on the 9/11/01 events. If they see
reruns, they may well think it is happening all over again. Limit the television
news that the older children watch. If they want to watch it, watch with
them, to talk with them about what they are seeing and how they feel about
it.
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Be aware of signs that you child is not coping well. If
your child experiences changes that persist
over time in any of the following areas, you may want to consult a mental
health professional: regressive behaviors for your child (may include bedwetting,
clinging, unusual fears, etc.) prolonged aggressiveness, obsession with
violence, withdrawal from activities and friends, drug and/or alcohol use,
sleeping and/or eating disturbances.
