PARIS — After a two-day closure in the aftermath of Lewiston’s deadly shooting on Oct. 25, Maine School Administrative District 17 will reopen its 10 schools Monday, with a planned two hour delay.
Educators, administrators and support staff including food service, transportation and facilities departments spent Friday focused on strategies to support students through times of crisis and preparing for them to return to classes. According to Superintendent Heather Manchester, the district is tapping internal resources as well as outside experts in the field of behavioral health.
“Our counselors helped us to understand the developmental needs of students, and that we should construct messages that are appropriate for each age group,” Manchester told the Advertiser Democrat in an email statement. “All of our schools have ensured that they have very clear systems in place to support students who are struggling.
“Our plan is to minimize the sharing of details and rumors between students, but if students need to talk about the situation, they will have access to a trained staff member.”
Early Monday faculty and ed techs will participate in a district-wide zoom with Dr. Jen Freeman, from the University of Connecticut. Freeman is a known entity to employees, as the district’s coach for its positive behavioral interventions and Supports (PBIS) program.
The Monday morning session will be concentrated on strategies about working with students after a large-scale traumatic events.
“When students arrive back at school, they will have a morning meeting or time in advisory, before starting academics,” Manchester wrote. “This will allow processing time prior to starting their work for the day. Counselors will be available for students who need an extra layer of support.”
In a letter sent Thursday to parents, Manchester provided parents with online resources to help carry on difficult conversations with children. Among them: Helping children handle scary news; Managing your stress in the aftermath of a shooting; Helping Children manage their distress after a shooting; and Going back to school after a tragedy.
The letter also included contact information for the Maine Crisis Line, which is 888-568-1112 (voice) or 711 (Maine Relay). It is the state’s crisis telephone response service for individuals or families experiencing a behavioral health crisis or having thoughts of suicide and/or self-harm. It is staffed by trained specialists 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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