SAINT PAUL, Minn. — With the return of students to Harding High School on Friday, Saint Paul Public Schools has its crisis team of counselors, social workers, and mental health experts standing by.
The district says about 15 to 20 members of the team we'll be at Harding as students come back to campus. They will also be attentive throughout next week to meet the needs of the school.
On Friday, 15-year-old Devin Scott died when he was stabbed during the school day.
“I would prepare myself for some questions like ‘why? Why did this happen?” said Kathy Kimani, the SPPS Director for the Office of School Support. “And there's no easy answer for that.”
These are the conversation Kimani and her crisis team is preparing for when students go back.
“I do know, there are students that are just wanting to get back to learning, to the stability, to the predictability that schools should offer,” said Kimani. “And then there are students that are really afraid. They don't feel safe at school.”
They’re hoping to ease students back with most of the day being spent in advisory classes. She said there will be conversations within classrooms about what to expect.
For students feeling uneasy or wanting to have a conversation, Kimani and a team will be ready.
“I still believe that the biggest way to increase that sense of safety is to create a feeling of belonging,” said Kimani. “So I would ask a student, what is it that makes you feel safe? Who is someone that you can talk to in your life? And then we do try to find someone in the school that they're connected to.”
Some students who may have witnessed what happened have already been connected with social workers like Michelle Keleny.
“It's not a one size fits all,” said Keleny, who is SPPS’ Social Work Coordinator. “Some kids don't want to just sit and talk and process. But we circle back. Checking in, and checking in with the adults that work with them. Sometimes we do a loop around the school with them. Or ask ‘can I sit with you?’ ‘Can we have our lunch together today?’”
Keleny said there will also be community members on the first day back to respond to students in culturally appropriate ways.
Keleny along with John Eschenbacher, the district’s lead high school counselor has been at Harding this week.
They have spent much of their time connecting with staff. There was a debrief with educators who witnessed what happened on Friday. The team says part of their healing process will involve being back with students.
“I think it's important for people to know that it's okay to not be okay,” said John Eschenbacher. “These things are very, very difficult, and challenging, and traumatic. We want to be there for them.”