STAFF EDITORIAL – Administration’s Failure to Communicate with Students Promotes a Problem within the School Community
The Fairview High School administration must change the way it handles sensitive and challenging topics in order to allow for communication between staff and the student body, as inaction poses a risk to the entire community.
On Wednesday, April 17, a threat to BVSD prompted a school closure. Just two days later, our community was shattered by the tragic death of a member of the sophomore class. On Monday, April 22, another threat reported to Safe2Tell prompted the Boulder Police Department to investigate areas of the school. Our administration ultimately failed in its role in each of these cases. The administration did not communicate with the student body and did not effectively put in place the proper resources to help students who needed, and still need, help through experiences no one should ever have to face.
This past Wednesday, students were told school would be closed because of a potential danger to Boulder Valley School District. A woman who suffered from mental health issues had flown to Colorado and purchased a shotgun, potentially posing a danger to our school. The following day, no communication with the student body was initiated. If students wanted help from admin they had to actively look for it, when it should have been the other way around.
On Friday, a Fairview Knight took his own life. After talking with the family of the student, the school administration opted not to notify any students: there was no announcement, no letter read to the student body, no message delivered by the trusted adults at our school. An email was sent out to Fairview parents, but this did not ensure students got the information. Fairview students were left to figure out what happened on their own or, in isolated cases, be told in class by a teacher or counselor.
According to a faculty member, the excuse given for this lack of communication was two-fold. First, administration officials believed that most students would have been informed by parents or guardians the day before. Secondly, the administration believed that enough students would have seen the terrible news on social media so the story would spread. They were wrong.
It was left up to staff members to decide whether or not to bring up the tragic events of the past Wednesday, Friday and Monday. Some made the choice to do so, many did not. The fact that it was up to educators to introduce these subjects is cause for great concern. Admin has missed several opportunities to improve the dialogue around mental health. The Royal Banner asks the faculty, why did you choose not to tell us?
We recognize that issues such as the stigma of suicide and mental health are difficult subjects to breach. These concepts are hard to confront. It’s not easy to talk about these subjects, but it is necessary. Our school administration owes it to the student body to effectively communicate and see the Fairview community through hardship and tragedy. Addressing these issues now, instead of hiding them from our school, will help the people who our school officials hold a responsibility towards, the students.
And to all the students struggling, grieving and experiencing the trauma of these events, the pain will pass and your life is worth so much more. We are here for you.
If any student needs help or assistance with this or any other issue, they can contact Safe2Tell(safe2tell.org) or the Suicide Prevention Lifeline(suicidepreventionlifeline.org).
Hello, my name is Grace and I’m a senior at Fairview. I think this is an amazingly written article and an important one too. I felt excluded and confused on why Fairview Admin did not send an email about Kian. Although I did not know him personally, as a student at Fairview I would have liked to have been informed first hand rather then hearing it from someone else.
Yo, just letting you guys know that this ROCKS and is so well written. Thank you
Thank you so much for bringing up the issues that are on many people’s minds.
Thank you for saying what I’ve been thinking. The way the administrative staff handles significant events in our school is utterly unprofessional. Keeping these (possibly life threatening) events quiet only fuels rumors and people assume the worst. It’s doing more harm than good.
I am so glad to have read this. You can definitely feel the disconnect between admin and the students. Even the fact that on morning announcements we weren’t asked to give Kian a moment of silence is not ok. Hopefully things will change for the better soon.
I’m a sophmore at Fairview and I knew kian. I didn’t know him well, but he always made a effort to make me feel acknowledged. My heart breaks he didn’t feel that way. He always seemed happy, it makes you really think about who is silently struggling.
While I agree with the overall point being made in this article, I would like to point out that we need to respect people’s privacy and we are not entitled to any personal information about the loss. Some of this is just not our business although it effects us it isn’t our place to demand private information that a family would like to keep personal.
Hi there,
Of course. The Royal Banner is not advocating for any additional details that the family would like to keep personal. Rather, the editorial asks that the method in which students be informed is improved.
Thank you for your feedback,
Henry Larson
Co-Editor in Chief
Thank you so much for putting into words what I and I’m sure many of my classmates have been thinking. This is such an issue at Fairview and I’m glad people are speaking up!
I feel the same as you all, this past year during the fall I was the most depressed and anxious I have ever been. I started getting suicidal idealization, and I ended up in the hospital because of it. I felt Fairview staff such as counselors and teachers didn’t take me seriously until they found out I was in the hospital. I feel as if staff should recognize this loss, and address the topic to other students who could also be struggling, rather than ignoring it. the problem with mental health is the longer you ignore it, the worse it gets. once again, thank you for speaking your opinion.
Thank you for your support and for sharing your story with us. We really appreciate your feedback. If there is something else you’d like to see from the Royal Banner, don’t hesitate to ask.
Henry Larson
Co-Editor in Chief
My heart tells me I must say something…
Dealing with loss, especially tragic loss, is always painful, difficult, and messy. From the perspective of a teacher, I can tell you that right now our hearts are broken. Seeing kids and family suffer tragedy is perhaps the most difficult part of this job. Every day we fight for the well being of those placed under our care, the best we know how.
As a community, one of our worst nightmares came true this week. My heart breaks for Kian. My heard breaks for his family. My heart breaks for this school. It is such a hard reality for me to accept that nothing I can do or say can change what happened.
What I feel I must say, however, is that Fairview High School is staffed with some of the highest quality people I have every had the honor to work with. The Counselors, Administration, and Teachers are relentless warriors for peace and compassion. I love and respect each one them deeply. None of us know how to do this job perfectly, but all of us try our best to model a way of love, respect, peace, kindness, compassion, patience, and awareness in this world.
Having worked with the administrative team, some of them for 10 years now, I feel I must also say that each one of them cares immensely about this community, about us teachers, about you students. They are tireless workers who often have to take on roles that no one else would want to take. To think for a second that any one of them is not hurting deeply right now, or that there was a lack of consideration for staff, students, or families involved, is simply untrue.
Careful and heartfelt consideration is being taken, by your teachers, and your administration, in what is now the aftermath of a painful and awful situation. To assume that our administration failed to address the situation is simply unfounded, and adds pain to an already painful reality. Actions were taken very deliberately and certain inaction was specifically requested on behalf of those most closely affected. Sadly, none of us have the ability to change what happened. It sucks and it hurts. We can only hope that we will continue to work together to assure that this does not happen again.
Having lost many close people in my life, I can say firsthand that it is a normal part of the grieving process to be angry. I was angry when I first heard the news about Kian. I wept. I cussed alone. Let us be aware of this anger. Let us all remember that we are all hurting right now. Let us be careful in how we treat one another in this sensitive time. All of us are affected. All of us are saddened. All of us lost. All of us wish better for ourselves and this community. With this in mind, let us work together for one another’s well being. Let us be kind, patient, and compassionate with one another, especially now.
Kids, I love you, we as a staff and administration love you, and what we want is the best for you in your life. That will never change. Please come find me, or another trusted adult in this wonderful Fairview community, if you are struggling right now. Let’s talk. Let’s scream. Let’s cry. Let’s hug. Let’s push forward. That is how we will carry one another, and carry healing into our lives and our future.
Sr. O / Mr. O
Thank you for your response and your willingness to be a part of this incredibly important conversation. Dialogue with both faculty and students is truly necessary to improve our communication as a school.
Henry Larson
Co-Editor in Chief