St. Patrick's Day & Crisis Communication

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I hope that you enjoyed your weekend.  The countdown is on - just 5 days of school left before spring break.

Every St. Patrick's Day I cannot help but think back to March 17, 2006 when I was working as a school counselor at Grove City High School. On that day two students were in a critical car accident. One student passed away and the other, fortunately, lived. Each time I think about this crisis, I remember how much it impacted the families involved as well as the entire school. So, I feel this is an appropriate time to review the importance of communicating when crisis situations occur. It is important that the school is aware of any major incidents that impact students from the school as soon as possible so that we can help prepare an appropriate response. For the record, if you are trying to reach me, I tend to check my e-mails over weekends, holidays, and the summer for any critical incidents, but I do not check my school voicemail, so the best way to pass along any important, timely news is e-mail. Obviously, my hope is that this information is never needed and that we will not face any crisis situations in the future, but I also know that it is better safe than sorry.

Enjoy the rest of your St. Patrick’s Day and please, be safe today and every day!