Sandy Creek High Copes With the Help of Grief Counselors

By: Rowena Li - Email

Updated: Tue 5:11 AM, Oct 23, 2012

"It's a tough time for us right now. Our thoughts and prayers are with Casie." - Randall Gilson, South Central Unified School District Superintendent

Sandy Creek Public School officials said the school's counselors have been working around the clock since they were notified of the accident on Friday night. The school held counseling sessions for teachers, students, and the public on both Saturday and Sunday.

"It was beneficial for our students to have, and a lot of our kids did spend a lot of hours with our counselors this weekend," said South Central Unified School District Superintendent Randall Gilson.

Sandy Creek High senior Casie Gibbs of Clay Center died in that accident.

"It's a tough time for us right now. Our thoughts and prayers are with Casie," Gilson said.

The school district superintendent said classmates have put together a wall of messages inside the school in memory of Gibbs.

The school sent students home with a pamphlet on how to cope with grief, which psychologists say, can come in many different forms.

"There are really no perfect ways to grieve," said psychotherapist Sandra Broz.

Meanwhile, the district will go on with all school events as scheduled. The first round of conference volleyball games are at Sandy Creek High Monday night, and Gilson said all of the players are planning on wearing purple hair ribbons in remembrance of Gibbs.

"Keep things as normal as possible. That's been our goal, to keep a sense of normalcy for the students and for the teachers so that they can carry on," said Gilson.

Experts say that sense of normalcy is crucial, and students should return to their regular activities as soon as they can.

"Be there as soon as they can be is probably the key. At least being there, if not participating, is something," said Broz.

Psychologists say young people can also cope with grief by talking with someone who's been through it.

"If young people could reach out to their parents, grandparents, neighbors, people with a little more age behind them, that could be very helpful too," Broz said. "It doesn't always take a counselor."

But for those who need them, school officials said counselors will continue to be available for the rest of the week.