Extra supports are in place for Riverview High School in light of recent events.
Anglophone East School District Community Response Coordinator Heather Stordy says they established a critical response team late last year, “Looking at building a response plan, involving the community around how we can deliver support and communication to Riverview families at school, the community, students, families and volunteers.”
The team works with the Town of Riverview, RCMP, School staff and area mental health organizations.
Stordy says talking is very important, “We’re going to create an opportunity for that in the spring for parents to get together and talk about the ideas and opportunities they have to connect even further.”
She says COVID-19 has prevented everyone from gathering together on a regular basis, at sporting and social events, “We have an opportunity here through a virtual way. We’re all comfortable from our own homes in tapping in to this information. Maybe there is a place to start support groups, within parents. Hearing this information and these resources, I think will be very helpful.”
This comes after the arrest of a volunteer basketball coach and in a separate incident, a teacher was shot after leaving the school.
Stordy says, “This could be something that could be modelled in any community at any time, because more discussions around mental health are needed.”
