Dear Parents / Whanau
9/5/19
The last two days have been difficult for all the Lakes High Community. We have been overwhelmed by the support and advice we have received. We must always remember that our grief and shock are nothing compared to what Alisha’s family are coping with at the moment. We have received advice from the Ministry of Education, District Health Board and the Real Team who stress that this is a time for grieving which everyone does in their own way. The experts tell us that the best thing for our students and staff is to recognise that grief takes many forms. As a school we must provide continuity and normality as far as possible. For those who are experiencing grief in a way that makes it too hard for them to attend school, then it is better that they are home with their loved ones. The advice from the psychologists and counsellors was overwhelming that grief is a normal response and that the school and families need to monitor students and staff over time. If, right now, you feel your child’s demeanour is beyond what you would expect as grieving, please visit your family doctor and let us know as we hope to be in a position of accessing further support for students in the coming weeks. For many of our grieving students, they may feel ‘alone’ as others in the family do not have a shared relationship with the deceased student. Families may need to be aware of the necessity to allow their child to grieve and talk and feel supported by family in their grief. At first, some students may need to grieve at home as they are not ready to engage in learning and the normalcy of a school. The school has been advised not to hold any form of memorial service. If you feel your child needs this type of ceremony then we encourage families to accompany their child to the funeral service. This situation has been totally new for us as a school and we are attempting to support our students and staff in the best possible way according to our resources as a secondary school. After advice from the Ministry of Education, the District Health Board and the Real Team, we know that now is the time for students and staff to grieve. Grief takes many forms and as parents / whanau you need to determine the needs of your child. Please see below a link to “Casa” a national service which offers advice and support and links about accessing counselling etc: www.casa.org.nz
BRUCE WALKER Principal