 Tip of the Week:
Graduation Remembrances for Students Who Died
Graduation is about celebration! Whatever you do needs to be brief enough and uplifting enough that it doesn't bring down the celebratory tone of the event for more than just two or three minutes. Keep it as upbeat as possible.
If you didn't do enough at the time of death (in terms of holding a Life Tribute, having Safe Rooms for kids, etc.) then sometimes graduation is a focal point for those students who really want to make up for what they needed earlier. If that is an issue (if kids want to do more than is appropriate during the graduation ceremony), consider having some kind of Life Tribute for the student or some kind of "saying goodbye" gathering a couple of weeks before graduation so there isn't all that pressure to do something too big at graduation.
You set precedence by what you do at graduation that will make it difficult to do less for another student later, so whatever you decide to do (give the family a post-humous diploma, give them an large photo of their child, whatever...), it needs to be something that will work for essentially all students who might die. Of course there are always exceptions - a student who committed suicide after shooting others would be an example of a likely exception to that procedure, although in a community that has a great level of forgiveness for an event, you might decide otherwise.
Graduation is one time when students' needs let us know if we didn't do enough at the time of the death. If we did, they're satisfied to have a smaller mention made. If we didn't, the requests can be elaborate and great!
It would be better to investigate whether kids who've lost peers will feel satisfied with a smaller, appropriate mention at graduation or whether you've got work to do ahead of time. The worst case scenario is when it all erupts at the last minute and you don't have time to make it work. Be proactive! Ask now!
Enjoy the unfolding of spring ~
Cheri
|
