CHS to celebrate Children’s Grief Awareness Day
Children’s Grief Awareness Day will be held on Thurs Nov 21.
CHS students can help show their support of CGAD by wearing blue and making their own “Holding On Hope” butterflies.
November 11, 2013
Grief and loss; these two things seem to go hand-in-hand when talking about the passing of a loved one. Everyday a child loses a parent or someone close to them.
Sponsored by the Highmark Caring Foundation, Children’s Grief Awareness Day is held every year on the third Thursday in November. This year it is being held on Nov. 21. This date was selected intentionally because the holiday season is often a harder time for children after the loss of a loved one.
According to the Children’s Grief Awareness website, “Children and teens who have had a loved one die often feel alone in their grief, like nobody understands what they’re going through. Experiencing a death can be overwhelming for anyone, but it is especially difficult for those so young.”
Social Studies teacher Seth Roper said, “20% of students will lose a close family member before they are 18, and in our school, that works out to about 200 students.”
Roper has helped run a CHS grief and loss support group for the last five years. Roper said, “[CGAD] was an opportunity to reach more students who have suffered a loss as well as provide an outlet for friends and classmates to provide support.”
Children’s Grief Awareness Day gives everyone the opportunity to give these children the support they desperately need.
One way the students and faculty can participate in Children’s Grief Awareness Day is to wear blue. The week of Nov. 21, class council members will be distributing blue bracelets to students at all lunches.
Also, outside both Swartz and McGowan cafeterias, a large Hope Butterfly poster will be put up. Students can write their name or a message if they wish to, to comfort those dealing with grief and loss.
In addition, first period teachers will give their students a piece of paper that will say “Holding On To Hope.” CHS students will be encouraged to write a message on their paper and then if they wish, to take a picture and upload it to their social media accounts with the hash tag #CGADHOPE to help further express their sympathy for their schoolmates.
Junior Promyse Mountz, said “I think [Children’s Grief Awareness Day] is a good way to show support to the people who want it.”
As Roper said, “No one can take grief away, but we can show grieving students that we care, and that we are there for them.”
For more information on Children’s Grief Awareness Day, click here to visit the official website.
Alana Mason • Nov 13, 2013 at 2:38 pm
I am happy that every year, CHS runs a Children’s Grief Awareness day. Mostly everyone has a hard time griefing over a member that they were really close to. In April 2005, I lost my 9 year old dog Cody; i was very devastated and cried for two days. Three years ago last Saturday (November 9), my grandpa died unexpectedly; dont know what, but my mom and I were sad, even my mom’s 5 other siblings. We were living in Germany then, and we attended my grandfather’s death. Only have my grandma from my mom’s side left; hope we can have her longer. But it is great to have a day to grief over loved ones and people that were close to others. We do know though, that they are close to our hearts and will never be forgotten.
Kevin Wagner • Nov 12, 2013 at 2:53 pm
Kudos to Mr. Roper and other CHS students for bringing such a program to light at the high school. When I was 15 and in 10th grade, I unexpectedly lost my mother. This was one of the hardest struggles of my life, as we were very close and could not wait until the day I got my license and we could go everywhere (so never drove a day in her life). But with the help of two very near and dear teachers that year, I managed to pull through all the heartache and pain. And I still believe that is why I became a teacher! I want to be that teacher our young people can turn to in a time of need.