Special Education

Sample Staff Meeting Agenda

The following sample staff meeting agenda can be adapted by the School Team to fit the protocol developed in a particular school.

1. Attendance - anyone who is not present should be informed of the critical incident as soon as possible following the meeting.
   
   
2. Provide as much accurate information as possible, including:

• names of the students or staff members directly involved,
• time and place of the event,
• any additional information surrounding the event, and
• names and grades of the siblings of those directly affected who are also in the school.

3. Introduce the School Team, members of the District Team, and any additional support staff or community resource people who are present and explain their roles.
   
   
4. Briefly review the school response plan. Provide extra copies.

• Prepare teachers to deal effectively with informing their students of the critical incident.

• Give directions and model how students should be told.
• Encourage teachers to allow time for classroom discussion.
• Provide all staff with a copy of the protocol for class discussion. See page 31 for guidelines on leading a classroom discussion.

• Clarify procedures for handling students who want to leave the classroom.

• Students who are highly emotional should be accompanied to the designated counselling centre.
• Students who wish to leave the school should only be released to a parent, guardian or their designate.

• Inform teachers of counselling support plans.

• Identify counselling staff who will run the counselling centre and the appropriate procedure for sending students to the centre.
• Clarify the way to get counselling assistance for staff members.
• Inform staff of any outside agencies involved in student or staff counselling.

• Ask for staff help to identify students who may be at risk or need extra support.

• Make counselling plans for all students who are potentially at risk for suicide or other serious emotional responses to the critical incident.
• Direct staff to refer students who appear to be emotionally unstable to the counsellors.

• Review media policy
• Inform all staff of any changes to the regular school schedule or cancellation of normal school events.

5. Set the date and time of a follow-up meeting.

• Assure staff that they will be kept informed of any relevant information in this update meeting.
• Follow up meeting will provide an opportunity for staff members to discuss classroom experiences and report information back to the group.

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