Communication Plan Design Components

EDAD 580

Kelli Houston

Crisis
Death of a student outside of school but during the school year
Purpose
Communication is a critical component of crisis management. When an event occurs, it is
important for students and staff to be notified and informed about what is happening. Parents and
families of students also need to be aware of what has occurred and kept up-to-date as
information becomes available. School board members, the central office, the press, and
community also need to be informed and kept updated. This plan focuses on communication with
the school, parents, community, and media. It outlines persons responsible and the information to
be communicated about the incident.
Communication Team Members
Principal: Jeanne Von Feldt

Assistant Principal: David Sowells

Head Secretary: Karen Slaby

Guidance Counselor: Meechee McNeal

Head Custodian and Safety Coordinator: Jeff Sebille

School Board President and Parish Priest: Father Robert Harness

First 15 Minutes
1. Upon receiving the phone call being notified of the students death, the principal will
extend her sympathy to the parents and invite them to share whatever information they
wish while being appropriate and respectful. The principal will also verify with the
parents what information should be shared with students, staff, and the media.
2. The principal will then contact the assistant principal to notify him of the situation. The
assistant principal will call the remaining members of the crisis communication team.
The principal will use the automated messaging system, School Reach, to inform staff
members of what has happened and declare an emergency staff meeting at 7:30 the next
school day morning. The principal will also send an email to staff with the same
information.
3. The principal will then review the schools confidentiality policies to stay informed on
what information can be shared about the incident. The principal will also take note of
 important points to share with the staff at the emergency meeting to remind them of the
confidentiality policies and to respect the privacy of the family. The principal will also
gather additional resources that could be used to assist staff and students with handling
this information and communicating it.
4. After receiving the phone call from the assistant principal about the incident that
occurred, the school guidance counselor will call the guidance counselors of the
surrounding Catholic schools to ask for their assistance in dealing with students and staff
during the next school day. The guidance counselor will also consult additional resources
and arrange any additional counseling services that might be needed.
5. The principal will also start to draft a letter that will be sent home via email and hard
copy to parents and families of the school. The principal will also draft a script of what
the secretary, office staff and teachers can tell students.
6. In order to deal with rumors and questions from the public, the principal will notify local
media outlets with the necessary information as it is available being sure to abide by the
parents wishes and following all confidentiality policies.
Draft of Sample Communications
School Reach Message and Email to be Sent to Staff

It is with much sadness and regret that I must inform you about the death of one
of our students, __________________. This will be a sad and difficult time for our
school family, so we must depend on each other to get through this. It is the wish of the
parents that we notify our students about what has happened and provide the necessary
supports they may need during this time. We will have a staff meeting tomorrow morning
to review confidentiality policies, how to deal with rumors, and what to say to students. If
you have any questions at this time, please do not hesitate to call me. Good night and
God bless.

Sample Letter to School Families

Dear All Saints Families,

It is with deep sadness that I inform you about the death of one of our students,
___________________. Our thoughts and prayers are with _______________s family
during this extremely difficult time. ____________ was a ____________ grader at All
Saints and loved being at school. He/She enjoyed playing with his/her siblings, reading
books, and going on family vacations. We will miss _______________ immensely and
find comfort in knowing he/she has been sent home to our Lord. We must turn to our
faith at this time to get us through this tragic event. While this news may be difficult to
 accept, it is important to remember what the ______________ family is going through
and give them the privacy they request.

To assist students that are having a difficult time learning about and accepting the
death of ________________, we have numerous guidance counselors and other resources
available. Counselors will periodically be visiting classrooms to observe how students are
reacting to this tragic event and will provide help when needed. If you or your students
would like to speak to a guidance counselor, please do not hesitate to contact the school.

We encourage you to talk with your children about ______________s death and
encourage them to express their feelings regarding the situation. Once visitation and
funeral services have been arranged, we will notify you with the details. Again, we are
extremely saddened by this tragic loss to the All Saints family, and we will continue to
keep ____________s family in our hearts and trust in the Lord to get them and us
through this tragedy.

But Jesus said, Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to
such belongs the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 19:14

Sincerely,

Jeanne Von Feldt, Principal

Letter for Teachers to Read to Students after Morning Announcements

My Dear Students,

It is with much sadness that I must tell you about the death of _______________,
a ___________ grader here at All Saints. ________________ died unexpectantly last
night from ______________________________. ________________s parents and
family are very, very sad at this time, but wanted you to know how much
______________ loved coming to school here. Since we are a family here at All Saints,
this news is very difficult to hear, and you are probably feeling very sad right now. Please
know that your teachers are here to help you during this very difficult time. In addition to
Mrs. McNeal, we also have more guidance counselors available. We want you to visit a
guidance counselor and talk with them if you think it will help you cope with this tragic
event. Father Harness will also be at school with us today and will talk to you about how
to use your faith during this time. Please make sure you talk to teachers, counselors,
 friends, and your families and express your feelings. As a family, we will get through this
difficult time together and with God.

Press Release

All Saints Catholic School is extremely saddened to share the information that
one of our students has died. The staff, students, and families of All Saints are
heartbroken and devastated by this loss. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family
and all those involved. All Saints is working closely with trained guidance counselors and
other trained staff to help all students and staff with this tragedy. We would like to thank
all of our staff, students, families, and surrounding community for the love and support
they have demonstrated during this hardship. We ask that you please protect the privacy
of the family at this time. This tragedy will bring us closer as a family and strengthen our
learning community as we strive to meet the needs of all of our students.

Staff Meeting Agenda

1. The principal will disclose all of the facts that have been gathered and cleared by the
parents to all faculty and staff members.
2. Notify staff and faculty that as soon as visitation and funeral arrangements have been
made, that information will be passed on to them, and the school will make arrangements
for those who want to attend services during school hours.
3. Share with the staff and faculty the letter that will be sent home to parents, the media
release, and the letter that teachers will read to students first thing in the morning after
announcements.
4. Remind teachers about the additional guidance counselors that are available to assist
students today. Also notify teachers that the counselors and Father Harness will be
visiting classrooms and may speak to students at that time.
5. The guidance counselor will share warning signs of students who may be in distress and
encourage teachers to notify a guidance counselor as soon as these signs are observed.
6. Remind the faculty and staff about confidentiality policies and notify them that any
media interviews and questions should be redirected to the principal.
7. Encourage the staff to share any comments, concerns, or questions they may have.
8. Discuss what should be purchased for the family using money from the Sunshine Fund.
9. Remind staff and faculty that you are here for them and want to do everything you can
for them to get through this difficult time, and thank them for their help in caring for and
comforting our students.
Avoiding Rumors
In order to avoid or dispel any rumors that may arise during this tragic event, certain procedures
will be in place:
o Make sure all administrators, teachers, counselors, secretaries, para educators, custodians,
food service works, and bus drives have accurate information and are kept updated as
more information is available.
o A staff and faculty meeting will be held before school starts to share information and
notify what information can be shared.
o Inform secretaries about what to say when answering phones. Be sure they know what
information can be shared and to direct any media calls to the principal.
o Reach out to the media and ask them to provide frequent and accurate updates to the
public.
o A staff and faculty meeting will be held at the end of the school day. At this time, staff
and faculty can share any questions, comments, or concerns that came up during the day.
The principal will also share any new information she has received. A plan can be made
as to what additional communications need to be shared with students, parents, and
media.
Guidelines for Communicating with Staff, Parents, Community Members, and Media
It is important that the privacy of the family is upheld at all times. The principal will be in
direct contact with the parents of the deceased child and will be the only one responsible
for sharing new information by request of the parents.
All faculty and staff members must know that any information linked to the media must
be directed to the principal.
Secretaries, and any other individual that may answer the phones, will be provided with a
statement which should be recited while answering phone calls.
o Media Calls: Thank you for calling. May I please get your name, number, and
affiliation. I will give our principal your information, and she will call you back
at her earliest convenience.
o Parent Calls: Thank you for calling in response to the tragic event that has
occurred. Thank you for your support as our school family deals with this
difficult time. A letter will be coming home with your child today with
information we have for you at this time. Please know that your child is being
cared for at school today, and we have many resources and services available to
assist her/him. After reading the letter and talking with your child, if you still
have any questions or concerns, please call us back tomorrow and set up an
appointment with our principal.
o Community Calls: Out of respect for the family, I currently cannot share any
information with you regarding the incident at this time. Please refer to the local
 newspapers, news stations, and school website for any information regarding this
situation.
Classroom Discussion Points
Share the prepared letter with students after the morning announcements. Also, inform
the students of any additional information you may have gotten at the staff meeting. Be
sure that all accurate information is told to try to avoid any rumors.
Ask students if they have any questions at this time. Answer any questions you can with
truthful information. If a question cannot be answered, write it down and share it at the
staff meeting at the end of the date.
Ask students to think of another time when they had to deal with the loss of someone.
Start a discussion around their feelings at that time and what was done to overcome that
difficult time. In the deceased childs classroom, classmates can share their favorite
memories and stories about the deceased child. These stories can then be compiled and a
copy left in the classroom, the library and given to the family.
Encourage students to express how they are feeling and brainstorm a list of healthy ways
to handle our feelings.
Inform students that additional guidance counselors will be in the building today, along
with Father Harness. Tell students to notify you when they may feel the need to talk to
one of them.
When a guidance counselor or Father Harness visits your classroom, encourage them to
address the whole class by either offering advice or partaking in a discussion.
Be flexible in your instruction today. Please note that you may not be able to cover all of
the material that was planned. Students may also have a harder time focusing and
completely a task.
Feel free to pray with your students. Saying the Rosary at this time would be especially
appropriate.
Following the Crisis

At the next scheduled staff meeting, be sure to thank them for all they have done to get
our students through this difficult time. Also, address any issues that have come up or
questions they may have.

Continue to keep in contact with the parents making sure all of their needs are being met
and numerous support systems are available. Ask them if there is anything else the school
can do for them.

Meet with the Crisis Communication Team to discuss what went well and what areas
need to be improved.
 Continue to monitor students and staff to make sure all of their needs are being met and
the appropriate supports are available for them.
Evaluation of Communication Plan

To evaluate the timeliness and effectiveness of the crisis communication plan, the
principal will create a survey and send it to a sample of staff and parents.

The crisis communication team will meet to analyze and discuss the results of the
surveys. The team will brainstorm ideas for any improvements and consider any
suggestions.
Teachable Moments
The Crisis Management Team can review their procedures and identify any additional
services or resources that could have improved the handling of the situation.
Meet with the guidance counselors to determine what could be done to utilize their time
and services better in the future.
After a considerable amount of time, meet with the deceased students parents to gain
insight as to how they felt the situation was handled and what suggestions they have for
the school to do in the future.
Consult with the media to determine how they felt the school communicated about the
situation and be open to any suggestions they may have.