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Polytech High School officials implored students to consider resources available to them as a means of coping with any problems they may be facing. The school is reeling from two student suicides this week – and three since the New Year.
That was the main message parents heard during a meeting Saturday morning at Polytech as they learned more details of how Polytech School District and state officials have counseled students and staff in the wake of two suicides students this week and a total of three in the last month.
Two male students died last week, while a female student was found dead on Jan. 11. Delaware State Police are investigating each death as a suicide.
In response to the deaths, Polytech and state officials set up a crisis unit on Thursday. Saturday morning’s meeting was the third held for parents in three days.
“School district and state resources have been on site and will continue to be on site for as long as necessary to meet the needs of our students and staff,” Polytech Superintendent Dr. Deborah Zych said Saturday. “Over the past two days, we have seen over 300 students visit our triage outreach area.”
Staff from the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families came to Polytech to help with the sheer volume of students who sought counseling, said Robert Dunleavy, director of the Division of Prevention & Behavioral Heath Services.
“What we needed was more people because there are a lot of kids here,” Dunleavy said. “ I don’t know if there’s a way to overreact when a child’s safety is at stake.”
The exercise proved helpful as students and teachers told counselors about peers they were worried about, Dunleavy said.
“There is always one more way to solve a problem," he said. "If it’s a math problem, you can get to the answer 4 by 2 plus 2 or 3 plus 1.
“So, if you have ever thought of killing yourself in response to a particular, personal issue or stress, go to someone else," he said. "Because someone else will have another answer that you can consider.”
Many people have thought of suicide at some point in their lives, but most people rule it out as an option, Dunleavy said. But, people have to keep an eye out for those who do not rule it out.
As such, Dunleavy urged people to look for signs of helplessness, hopelessness and stress. He also said people should be more alert for adolescents who recently experienced deaths in the family or amongst friends.
Polytech High School officials implored students to consider resources available to them as a means of coping with any problems they may be facing. The school is reeling from two student suicides this week – and three since the New Year.
That was the main message parents heard during a meeting Saturday morning at Polytech as they learned more details of how Polytech School District and state officials have counseled students and staff in the wake of two suicides students this week and a total of three in the last month.
Two male students died last week, while a female student was found dead on Jan. 11. Delaware State Police are investigating each death as a suicide.
In response to the deaths, Polytech and state officials set up a crisis unit on Thursday. Saturday morning’s meeting was the third held for parents in three days.
“School district and state resources have been on site and will continue to be on site for as long as necessary to meet the needs of our students and staff,” Polytech Superintendent Dr. Deborah Zych said Saturday. “Over the past two days, we have seen over 300 students visit our triage outreach area.”
Staff from the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families came to Polytech to help with the sheer volume of students who sought counseling, said Robert Dunleavy, director of the Division of Prevention & Behavioral Heath Services.
“What we needed was more people because there are a lot of kids here,” Dunleavy said. “ I don’t know if there’s a way to overreact when a child’s safety is at stake.”
The exercise proved helpful as students and teachers told counselors about peers they were worried about, Dunleavy said.
“There is always one more way to solve a problem," he said. "If it’s a math problem, you can get to the answer 4 by 2 plus 2 or 3 plus 1.
“So, if you have ever thought of killing yourself in response to a particular, personal issue or stress, go to someone else," he said. "Because someone else will have another answer that you can consider.”
Many people have thought of suicide at some point in their lives, but most people rule it out as an option, Dunleavy said. But, people have to keep an eye out for those who do not rule it out.
As such, Dunleavy urged people to look for signs of helplessness, hopelessness and stress. He also said people should be more alert for adolescents who recently experienced deaths in the family or amongst friends.
On Thursday and Friday, Polytech staff met with students in large groups, in classroom settings and individually, Zych said. As part of that process, staff identified and reached out to students who may be emotionally vulnerable at this time, she said.
“We have called homes and parents in instances were we had a high degree of concern,” she said.
After Zych’s and Dunleavy’s brief remarks, more than 70 people in attendance broke down into seven roundtable discussions to hear from state and Polytech counselors.
In one group, Polytech counselor Lynn Richardson, the parent of a sophomore at Polytech, reminded parents to monitor their children on social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter – echoing remarks by Zych.
Dr. Harvey Doppelt, director of specialized services for the Division of Prevention & Behavioral Health Services, urged parents to not look at this as spying.
“You’re concerned for their well being,” he said.
In addition, counselors will help students and staff understand that is it OK to eventually return to life as normal, Doppelt said.
“People feel guilty about getting back to normal,” he said. “But, that’s healthy.”
Smyrna resident Aileen Boyd-Martin, whose daughter Khadijah is a junior at Polytech, asked why Polytech had not been as public about the first student death last month. It also seemed to her that there was not as much counseling for the first death.
All three deaths were different situations and Polytech had to be sensitive to how each family wanted them handled, Principal Dr. Bruce Curry said. In the case of Penney, the family wished to retain its privacy whereas the Capetola and Comegys families were more open in telling people what took place, he said.
Camden resident Joseph Nelson, whose sons Jon-Marc, and Jordan attend Polytech – asked Curry if this was the first tragedy Polytech had experienced. Curry said it was not. His first year as principal, a female student died in a car accident on Jan. 11, 2002. And a young man committed suicide 11 days later.
There had been no deaths amongst students or staff until Penney died on Jan. 11, the 10th anniversary of the other young woman’s death.
