At the same time, we have families and staff in our school who are Muslim. The Muslim community around the world is suffering tremendously. The refugee crises in Europe and Southeast Asia are visible stories of the trauma that Muslim families face daily. Our thoughts are with them as well.
I can't pretend to understand all the reasons why young people become radicalized. Their paths towards violence are complicated and diverse and lead to tragic results. My job as an educator is to help our children understand events and to help guide them to choices that make the world a better place. My job as a school leader is to make sure that our school is a safe place for all children.
This means that we want to make sure that children are talking about events in a safe and respectful way and that they are viewing media coverage with a critical eye. It also means that we are guiding children away from the conclusion that all Muslims are terrorists. We want to make sure that our students are supportive and compassionate towards all their classmates.
How we handle this conversation with children is critical in helping them understand world events and how our own community responds to these events.
On Monday, many children will be talking about this event. They will have seen it on the news, heard parents talk about it, or have heard about it from other children on the playground. Teachers will be leading appropriate conversations about the events during the next week. Early grade teachers (K-2) will be listening in to children's conversations before collaboratively planning how they will facilitate conversations at school.
Rebecca Haverstick, one of our third grade teachers, sent me an email late last night reflecting on how she will facilitate a conversation with the children in her class about the events in Paris. She started me on a list of resources (below) that can help parents talk with their children about the terror attacks in Paris. We will be adding to this resource list as we vet additional resources.
Hand in Hand Parenting starts their post on the topic with the following story about Mr. Rogers.
"As with many tragedies that are covered extensively in the media, children who hear about them may be confused or scared. Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood once shared a thoughtful approach for comforting children and instilling a sense of hope in them in the face of such incomprehensible events:
'When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." To this day, especially in times of "disaster," I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.' -- Fred Rogers"
Resources, listed below, all share similar guidelines for talking about violence and traumatic events with children. This list will guide conversations in classrooms. The guidelines include:
• Find out what kids already know.
• Correct inaccurate information.
• Encourage kids to ask questions.
• Assure them that grown-ups are working to keep everyone safe.
Older students will be discussing the complex nature of the good v evil, how injustice can lead to violence, and what actions we can take as individuals and a community to make a difference in the world.
If you have any concerns about how this will be handled or if your child has been personally impacted, please contact your child's teacher. You can also reach out to Rachel Goodman or Alisha Bennett, our guidance counselors.
Resources:
PBS guidelines to help parents talk with children about news events.
National Child Traumatic Stress Network resources for helping children cope with terrorism
Hand in hand parenting a website with ideas around parenting
News-o-Matic an online news source for children. They share information on how to talk to children about scary and troubling news events.
Child Mind Institute provided information to Time Magazine for a piece on helping children cope with news of the Paris attacks. Read on time.com: How to Talk to Your Kids About the Attacks in Paris. The Child Mind Institute also has resources on their website coaching parents on how to discuss the news with children including tips on talking to children about frightening events and a guide for parents and teachers to help children cope with traumatic events.
