Oak Bay High School offers support to students after teen's sudden death
Members of the Oak Bay High School community are expressing their condolences after a teenager died unexpectedly over the weekend.
In a letter sent to families Monday, Oak Bay principal Tom Aerts said that St. Michael's University School student Harrison Helliwell died on Sunday.
The Grade 10 student went to Oak Bay High last year, and was expected to return to the school for Grade 11.
Since he previously attended Oak Bay High, the school said he likely had "many social connections" with current students.
The school provided some advice for families who may be affected by the unexpected death. The school suggests that parents listen to children and make time for them as they grieve, try to maintain a regular routine and watch for physical signs of grief, such as headaches, loss of appetite, anxiety or sleep disturbance.
Parents are also welcome to contact the school if their child would like to speak with school counsellors.
"This is a tough time of year regardless of the pandemic, the horrific tragedy in Kamloops and the death of a youth in our community," wrote Aerts.
"We hope that our sense of community and resilience will give all of us the tools to navigate this difficult time," he said.
The school also asks that parents and children "avoid social media speculation out of respect to the family and friends directly impacted."
Further advice on how to help your child through the grief process, provided by Oak Bay High, can be found below:
- Be yourself – Demonstrate your natural concern calmly and in your own words.
- Be available – Spend time with your child. Attempt to distract your child by reading, walking, going to a movie, etc.
- Listen – Let your child express his/her thoughts, concerns, feelings, and perceptions in a nonjudgmental, emotionally safe environment.
- Explain – Talk about what you know in short, ruthful statements. Don’t be afraid
- to admit that you do not have all the answers.
- Do not speculate.
- Develop resiliency – Your child will look to you for reassurance. Do not convey your own feelings of hopelessness, but rather let your child know that they will get through this difficult period.
- Provide comfort – Physical and verbal comforts are great healers.
- Attend to physical manifestations of trauma - Children will often complain of headaches, stomach aches, backaches, etc. Monitor physical symptoms such as loss of appetite, anxiety, sleep disturbance, etc. and determine whether medical intervention is required.
- Maintain regular routines – As much as possible, attempt to provide normalcy to your child. Humans are creatures of habit and derive comfort from regular routines.
- Monitor media exposure – Do not overexpose your child to media reports (especially preschool and elementary age children).
- Seek additional support – When appropriate, your child should be directed to community support agencies.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau acknowledges charges in Nijjar killing, calls for commitment to democracy
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged the charges laid Friday in relation to the murder of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Princess Anne lays wreath at B.C. veteran's cemetery; receives 21-gun salute
Princess Anne paid tribute to veterans buried at a cemetery in British Columbia today, laying a wreath to honour the more than 2,500 military personnel and family members buried there.
Mystik Dan wins the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in a three-horse photo finish
Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby in a photo finish, edging out Forever Young and Sierra Leone for the upset victory.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.