[Counselors] FW: FW: Grief

Tue Jan 21 19:01:34 CST 2020

Several years ago, I had two students lose their mom one morning as she was running in our park.  I bought two cute boxes that I found at Ross.  They were fairly cheap.  I saw the students on a weekly basis and each week we would add to their boxes. (I saw each student separately because each needed to grieve in a different way.)  We called them Memory boxes.  You can have them bring special items from home, pictures, they can make something to remember him by, letters/cards, etc.  This helps the students open up about their feelings.

I am not sure where you are located, but Calm Waters in OKC may be a
resource for you.  There website is https://www.calmwaters.org/

https://www.calmwaters.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/CW-logo-Stacked-e1443536109407.png]
4334 NW Expressway, Suite 101
Oklahoma City, OK 73116
Phone: 1-405-841-4800
Fax: 1-405-841-4803

I believe they also have satellite offices.  Hope this helps and keep your chin up.... First year is tough
Amy Russell (she/her/hers)
Counselor
Noble High School
(405) 872-3441 Ext. 7507
Go Bears!

A New Leash on Life: A Remedy for Healing After Loss is a one-of-a kind self- help book led by Midas, a feisty golden retriever.  Perfect for young readers, Midas is a gentle guide who teaches valuable lessons about life, death, abandonment and emotional well being. Using snippets from his own life growing up as the runt of the litter, to losing his mother and eventually being adopted, Midas is determined to help any reader who has reached the end of their own leash. He leads the reader through the stages of grief, and each chapter is filled with worksheets for the reader on how to combat these as he urges the reader to face their feelings full on instead of ignoring them and eventually making things worse. Midas is not only a dog with unconditional love, deep devotion and true loyalty, he is a dog who has suffered big losses in his life. In this book, he teaches us some of life's most valuable lessons. He will show you how to stop barking up the wrong tree by giving tools to help you overcome grief and loss.
Do you feel like you have reached the end of your leash with nowhere else to go? That is what happened to Midas. He tried to ignore his feelings but that didn't solve anything. In fact, it made things worse. Pretending that things were alright didn't make them go away. Healing began once he decided to stop cowering away in the comfort of his dog house and take action. You're invited to join him in his story. Together, you will learn how to recover from losses and pain.

Also, there is  a website: Whatsyourgrief.com that has a list of 64 books that you might want to explore for further reading material.

If I can be of further assistance to you, please let me know.
Take care
Patricia McClain, MS, LPC
School Counselor
Lincoln Alternative Academy
Stillwater, Oklahoma 74074
{405} 533-6331
pmcclain at stillwaterschools.com

See if their mother will send some pictures to school.  Assist them in making a small scrapbook.  This is an excellent time for them to share things with you about their father plus they will have their own book of
their father.  Another idea is to ask for shirts and assist them in making a pillow (let your FCCLA advisor assist you) from the shirt for each of them.

A Rainbow of Hope by Linda Hagler, M. Ed., When Dinosaurs Die A Guide to Understanding Death by Laurie Krasney Brown and Marc Brown and I Miss You A First Look at Death by Pat Thomas are all good picture books for younger children on grief. It gives a good starting point to begin the conversation and help guide a student through their grief. Linda Hagler's book is actually a set that covers multiple topics and includes ideas and tips on working with students.

I recommend* 35 Ways to Help a Grieving Child* by The Dougy Center, The National Center for Grieving Children & Families and* A Child's View of Grief *by Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D. These will help you.

This summer I had a student lose a younger sibling in a farming accident. I presented him and the family with the book "The Memory Box; A Book about Grief" and an empty box to place things in that were important. I put in a few things that represented the student that passed (frog stickers, batman stickers, etc. ). I also have a counseling agency that comes to the school for weekly sessions. Prayers for you and the family, because this is one of the most difficult things as a school counselor I've had to deal with.

From: Counselors <counselors-bounces at lists.onenet.net<mailto:counselors-bounces at lists.onenet.net>> On Behalf Of OSRHEStudent Prep PK-12 Counselor Discussion Board
Sent: Tuesday, January 21, 2020 3:05 PM
To: counselors at lists.onenet.net<mailto:counselors at lists.onenet.net>
Subject: [Counselors] Grief

If anyone has suggestions of books or activities to do with students dealing with the loss of a parent, I could sure use the ideas.  Two sisters (one in 6th grade and one in 2nd grade) just lost their dad in a car accident over the weekend.  I would appreciate any advice or ideas as I am a new SC and this is my first experience as a SC dealing with this directly.  Thank you.

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