#216
Image by Jess Miller
Reflecting on events in Ukraine over the last few days, I have been reminded of the multiple times in my career where students and families within our communities are fearful and look to our schools for social-emotional support. As was the case after the Dunblane Massacre (13 March 1996), 9-11, the London Bombings (7 July 2005), November 2015 Paris attacks, The Port of Beirut Blast (August 2020) and the Afghanistan Withdrawal (August 2021), our schools have played a significant rôle by providing a safe haven and a safe space in which students, families and faculty may come to terms with and process events within our local and global communities.
Simon Sinek’s quote, “Leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is about taking care of those in your charge”, always resonates.
Especially so during these challenging times.
I believe that providing safe havens and safe spaces are two of the most impactful ways of taking care of those in our charge.
I am particularly grateful for having worked in a wide range of schools:
… where taking care of those in our charge has been prioritized,
… where we have celebrated events such as Peace Day and engaged in Peace Projects,
… where - during difficult times - time and space has been given to students, parents and faculty to come together to be, to share concerns, to support each other,
… where we have gathered to mourn the passing of a member of our community,
… where concerns - as a result of shocking events - are raised (For example, immediately after Dunblane, questions about safety and access to campus were uppermost in the mind of many parents),
... where we have collected donations and/or raised funds for those directly impacted by these events,
… where we instantly come together to share our shock at events which are committed by a minority causing despair to the immediate victims and to others who - due to ethnicity, nationality, religious affiliation - may be presumed by others to support these awful acts/ideologies.
I am grateful to resources which approach difficult topics with practical advice for teachers, and parents and give hope to our future. With specific regard to current events in Ukraine, EdWeek’s How to Talks to Student about the Russsia-Ukraine War and Global Dimension’s Global Dimension Focus Topic: Russia- Ukraine are great starting points for students of various ages.
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