Teh One Who Knocks
12-18-2012, 11:37 AM
Psychologists ready to help as students return to classes Monday
By Clara Ho, Calgary Herald
CALGARY — Rocky View Schools officials are figuring out how their schools will handle a new ban on lanyard use implemented after a student at Bearspaw School nearly strangled to death on one last week.
Meanwhile, crisis response team members will return to the school Monday and remain as long as they are needed to help students and staff cope with the incident.
“It’s been very heartbreaking for everyone,” said school board spokeswoman Angela Spanier.
The Grade 3 student was taken in critical condition to the Alberta Children’s Hospital on Wednesday after being found unconscious with a lanyard around his neck, stuck in the door of a washroom stall.
He was discovered by another student about four minutes after signing out to use the washroom at the K-8 school northwest of Calgary. A teacher, who is a St. John first-aid instructor, was informed of the emergency and began CPR to revive the boy.
The teacher is being credited with saving the child’s life.
Foul play has been ruled out by the RCMP, who called it a “tragic accident.”
It’s not know what type of lanyard was involved.
Spanier said the last she heard Friday was the boy was stable but remained in critical condition.
Since the incident, a crisis response team consisting of professionally trained psychologists has been on site, and will remain at the school as long as needed, Spanier added.
Education Minister Jeff Johnson told reporters late Friday the use of lanyards has been banned in all Alberta schools. He said students at the majority of the province’s more than 2,000 schools use lanyards for hall passes, washroom passes and identification.
Most schools set up their own policies.
The details on how the ban will affect Bearspaw School and other schools in the district still need to be sorted out, Spanier said.
“I’m sure we’ll be on it first thing Monday,” she said.
By Clara Ho, Calgary Herald
CALGARY — Rocky View Schools officials are figuring out how their schools will handle a new ban on lanyard use implemented after a student at Bearspaw School nearly strangled to death on one last week.
Meanwhile, crisis response team members will return to the school Monday and remain as long as they are needed to help students and staff cope with the incident.
“It’s been very heartbreaking for everyone,” said school board spokeswoman Angela Spanier.
The Grade 3 student was taken in critical condition to the Alberta Children’s Hospital on Wednesday after being found unconscious with a lanyard around his neck, stuck in the door of a washroom stall.
He was discovered by another student about four minutes after signing out to use the washroom at the K-8 school northwest of Calgary. A teacher, who is a St. John first-aid instructor, was informed of the emergency and began CPR to revive the boy.
The teacher is being credited with saving the child’s life.
Foul play has been ruled out by the RCMP, who called it a “tragic accident.”
It’s not know what type of lanyard was involved.
Spanier said the last she heard Friday was the boy was stable but remained in critical condition.
Since the incident, a crisis response team consisting of professionally trained psychologists has been on site, and will remain at the school as long as needed, Spanier added.
Education Minister Jeff Johnson told reporters late Friday the use of lanyards has been banned in all Alberta schools. He said students at the majority of the province’s more than 2,000 schools use lanyards for hall passes, washroom passes and identification.
Most schools set up their own policies.
The details on how the ban will affect Bearspaw School and other schools in the district still need to be sorted out, Spanier said.
“I’m sure we’ll be on it first thing Monday,” she said.