Grief Counselors Help Leander Kids Deal With Student's Death

LEANDER, TX — Winkley Elementary School teachers and staff are poised to offer grief counseling and emotional support to students coping with the loss of a fellow pupil who died in a traffic accident this week.

In a letter to parents, Winkley Elementary School Principal Donna K. Brady alerted to the counseling resources along with providing tips on how to help children negotiate their grief. Upon request, a Round Rock ISD spokesman provided Patch with a copy of the letter.

Elijah Chaudhary, 9, died when the vehicle he was traveling in collided with another vehicle Wednesday afternoon at Walton Way and Whitestone Boulevard near U.S. 183. One-year-old Daniel Chaudhary also perished at the scene. Driver Zara Salman, 32, remains hospitalized in critical condition.

The occupants of the other vehicle involved were treated for minor injuries.

"It is with great sadness that I write this note to you," Brady wrote in her letter to Winkley Elementary School families. "One of our students died yesterday after being involved in a car accident. Our school community is grieving the loss, and we extend our deepest sympathy to the family."

It's difficult for anyone to negotiate grief over a friend or loved one, but more challenging for young people unaccustomed to tragedy. As a result, Brady outlined suggestions on how to help children mourning the loss of their friend.

"Young children often react differently to traumatic events such as this, even if they did not know the student well," Brady wrote. "Our counselors have reminded us that it's important to allow children to express their feelings. I encourage you to do the same, and offer these helpful tips for parents provided by the National Association of School Psychologists.

• Provide opportunities to express thoughts and feelings about death through play activities and drawing.
• Maintain a normal routine.
• Answer questions using concrete desciptions and be prepared to repeatedly answer questions. Older students may ask more detailed questions to try to understand what happened.
• Young children may engage in magical thinking and believe they could have prevented the death. Recognize these feelings and fears but do not validate them.
• Some children may feel less comfortable showing feelings and seeing expressions of grief in others. Make sure to provide these students with a variety of ways to express grief.
• Use words like "death," "die," or "dying" in your conversations and avoid euphemisms such as "they went away," "they are sleeping," "departed, " and "passed away." Such euphemisms are abstract and may be confusing, especially for younger children.
• Let students know that death is not contagious. Although all human beings will die at some point, death is not something that can be "caught" and it is unusual for children to die.
• Watch for changes in your child's behavior.

Parents needing more information are urged to call the school's counseling office at (512) 570-6700.

"Please remember that my door is always open to you and your children," Brady said in her closing. "Contact me directly if I can support you and/or your children in any way."

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>>> Photo by Moritz Schumacher on Unsplash