HomeMy WebLinkAboutLakeshore Advance, 2011-10-19, Page 9Wednesday, October 1e. 2011 • Lakeshore Advance 9
Grieving kids can't learn, says AMDSB support group
Tragic Events
Response Team
helps in crises
and loss
Rita Marshall
9111Agency
.,tudents grieving have a hard
time learning, says the lead prin-
cipal of the Tragic Events
Response Support Team (TERST)
at the Avon Maitland District
School Board (AMDSB).
At the board's Oct. 11 meeting,
TERST district lead principal
Betty Beer Vanrooy told trustees
that the purpose of the group is
to help a school maintain as
much normalcy as possible dur-
ing a crisis or tragedy.
'Ihe district TERM' is made up
of a dozen AMDSB employees
whose skills include guidance,
grief counseling, suicide inter-
vention, first aid, registered nurs-
ing, special education, cotnmu-
nications and Crisis Prevention
Institute (CPI) de-escalation/
restraint training.
Each AMDSB school is
required to have an identified
team of school community mem-
bers who can provide support
during a tragic event or crisis.
Vanrooy said that this may
include staff members, clergy,
social workers, nurses, police
officers and parents.
"We all know that parent;" said
Vanrooy, describing parents
whose rec room ends up being
the gathering place for students
after a traumatic event.
"Those are the parents we
want in the school" she said.
Vanrooy said the district
TERST also has several commu-
nity partners, including local
hospitals, healthcare providers,
the OPP, the 1luron Perth Centre
for Children and Youth, the Chil-
dren's Aid Society, Public l lealth
units, Victims Services of Perth
and Huron and crisis interven-
tion and employee assistance
programs.
Vanrooy added that not all
tragedies or crises occur within
the schools. She noted that com-
munity tragedies such as the
Goderich tornado, the killing of
Const. Vu Phan and the deaths
of Listowel firefighters Raymond
Walter and Kenneth Rea all
impact local school populations
as well as the community at
large.
Student trustee and South
Huron District High School
(SHIM student Mathias Mem-
mel told Vanrooy that his school
appreciated the TERST's help
after the 2009 death of 16 -year-
old Cody Johnson in South
I luron.
Vanrooy said she has had the
unfortunate task of visiting every
high school hit by loss at one
time or another.
"It's a particularly difficult time
for you growing up to lose a peer,"
she said.
Vanrooy emphasized that
TERST helps students in the
midst of grief or crisis but also
provides long-tertn strategies for
students who are rebuilding their
sense of normalcy.
"The real work of trauma and
grief happens at a personal speed
and pace with different kinds of
support," she said.
Vanrooy based her presenta-
tion around the work of Juli
Alvarado, a counselor and clini-
cal consultant with the organiza-
tion Coaching for Life, Coaching
for Life's website promotes "emo-
tional regulatory healing" based
on a "scientific brain -based,
trauma informed paradigm for
healing that gets right to the
source."
Perth East trustee Julie Moore,
who holds a Bachelor of Social
Work degree, questioned Alvara-
do's claim that brain disorgani-
zation leads to emotional disreg-
ulation, noting that the concept
is "very controversial in a
number ofsectors.'
"Is that best practice in your
sector?" Moore asked Vanrooy,
noting that she was "just
curious.'
Vanrooy said that she only
used Alvarado's ideas as a frame-
work for her presentation. Not-
ing that she has been part of the
TERSE for 20 years and leader for
11 years, Vanrooy said the TERST
Lakeshore Advance
New student council at Mount Carmel
There Is a new student council at Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Shown here are Prime Minister - Brendan
Gordon,Secretary - Tristan Relouw, Tleasurer - Angela Regier, Teacher - Mrs. Coombs,
Vice Prime Minister - Taylor McCann, Social Convener - Sara Dietrich, Health and safety - Julia Stewart.
continues to use the strategies devel-
oped over that time.
1 don't respond any differently after
hearing Juii Alvarado's research and her
presentation than I did before, but I
understand Netter why the team has
responded and continues to respond
the way they do, she said.
Merry Rags
FALL MIDNIGHT
MADNESS
5OOFF
ALL FALL FASHIONS
Starts: Saturday October 22
C� 10:00 A.M. and continues
until everything is gone!!!
'thank you to all our loyal and
faithful' customers.
Open until Mid -Late November
21/4 hats south. of Grand Rend on Hwy. 21
519-238-2818
at it
Grand Bend Rona
CONTRACTOR
DIGHT
(New Contractors Welcome)
Thursday, October 27th 6 -. 9 pm
at our store location
57 Ontario St. S., Grand Bend
Our (foal is to:
DELIVER MORE
THAN THE
COMPETITION
ON EVERY LEVEL
This evening will include:
• 1111Q ant.1 Refreshments
• $50.(H) Credit to All New Accounts Opened
• Door Prizes and Draws
• Meet with our "Budding Cons/thaw- and
learn about our New Product Lines and
Sevices available to you.
RONA
Doing it right
An RSVP would hr
appreciated to
Rrandbendrona@hutmatl.c a
Looking forward to seeing you.
Kevin & Aim Davies
Owners