POLYTECH to Host Parent Meetings on Suicide Prevention
The Delaware Department of Education is sharing this message on behalf of POLYTECH School District:
POLYTECH School District personnel were informed that a 17-year-old student died last night. The cause of death was suicide. This followed two other recent student deaths, both apparent suicides.
While many rumors are circulating, State Police have stated that these three incidents were unreleated and were not bullying-related.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends involved at this difficult time. Our focus right now is on providing counseling and support to our students and staff. School, district and state resources have been on-site and will continue to be on-site for as long as necessary to provide counseling and support. As our primary focus is on supporting our students and staff in this time of need, we respectfully request that no cameras or reporters come onto our school campus.
Trained crisis counselors have been on site to meet with students and staff today and will continue over the next few weeks as needed.
The school will be hosting a series of meetings for parents and others in the community. The first is at 7:30 tonight, Thurs. Feb. 16th. Additional meetings will be at 7:30 a.m., Friday, Feb. 17th and 10 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 18th. All will be held in the POLYTECH Adult Education auditorium. School leaders will be joined by mental health professionals, who will be present to provide information about common reactions following a suicide and how adults can help youths cope. They also will provide information about suicide and how mental illness in adolescents, including risk factors and warning signs of suicide. A meeting announcement has been sent to parents.
The focus of this meeting is to provide services and resources to the POLYTECH community in a safe and open environment. For this reason, media cameras will not be permitted on school property. POLYTECH students, staff and parents appreciate the media’s sensitivity and respect during this difficult time.
Please note the following resources for additional information and tips for families during this time:
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, national not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research, education, and advocacy, and to reaching out to people with mental disorders and those impacted by suicide: www.afsp.org
The Suicide Prevention Resource Center promotes the implementation of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and enhances the nation’s mental health infrastructure by providing states, government agencies, private organizations, colleges and universities, and suicide survivor and mental health consumer groups with access to the science and experience that can support their efforts to develop programs, implement interventions, and promote policies to prevent suicide: www.sprc.org
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Delaware's Department of Education is committed to promoting the highest quality education
for every Delaware student by providing visionary leadership and superior service.
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Contact Info.
Alison Kepner Delaware Department of Education 401 Federal Street, Suite #2 Dover, Delaware 19901 Phone: (302) 735-4035 Fax: (302) 739-4654 Email: akepner@doe.k12.de.us |
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