June 9, 2015

Dear Vista Colorado Families and Friends:

The Needles community was been saddened by the tragic death of one of our students, Kaden Lanphear, who passed away as the result of an accident last Saturday morning. My heart goes out to this grieving family and the entire Needles community, who came together in support.

I want to let you know what steps were taken to assist our students and staff.

The following are activities that took place this week at Vista:

·  Counselors were available on campus and visited Kaden’s classroom to talk to both students and staff.

·  Students and staff were invited to participate in an art activity “What’s in My Heart”.

·  Students and staff had the opportunity to decorate and release balloons during a moment of silence.

·  Vista staff and students wore Blue for Autism Awareness.

·  Vista student body and staff created 8 remembrance circles and released 8 balloons in memory of Kaden.

·  All had the opportunity to sign a memory wall.

I want to thank the Vista and District staff, Needles Community, SB County Sheriffs’ Department, Search and Rescue Teams, Marines and all others who tirelessly searched for Kaden. The strength of the Needles community is evident during these difficult times. The Kaden Lanphear Memorial Fund has been established at the Desert Communities Credit Union if you would like to donate.

I have included some information for parents and family members to help through difficult times on the back of this letter. Please call the school if you have any questions. You and your child are important to our school community and we want to do everything we can to help through this difficult time.

Sincerely,

Dr. Mary McNeil

Superintendent

TIPS FOR FAMILIES

·  If you notice that your child is affected in some way from this tragedy, even if he or she did not know Kaden, you are encouraged to talk to your child about what happened.

·  Discussing thoughts and feelings about death is important to help your child cope with his/her grief.

·  You can expect your child to feel shocked or numb. Children may also feel angry or guilty about the death.

·  Young children may not understand that their thoughts or actions could not have caused this tragedy.

·  Students may become depressed and disorganized as they eventually come to accept death.

·  While children are dealing with their grief, be prepared for tears.

·  Some children, on the other hand, may be very quiet or seem to be in a daze.

·  Children may be very clingy and need extra emotional support from you over the next month or two.

·  Young children often have difficulty identifying exactly what is bothering them. With encouragement, support, acceptance, and consistency, children will begin to understand and deal with their feelings.

·  In order to help your children through these tough times, you can encourage them to ask you questions, and you can answer all their questions honestly and simply. It will not hurt them to understand the truth. Unanswered questions will upset them more than the truth.

·  Supportive responses include: "I can see that you are really hurting" and "It is hard to accept the death of someone you know.” Some responses are usually NOT helpful such as: "You will feel better tomorrow" or "Don't think about it now." Please talk to your children and encourage them to write about and draw pictures about their feelings.

·  Finally, encourage children to talk about happy memories of Kaden. This activity will help them remember his life rather than death.