Helpful resources, support during time of tragedy

Colleagues,

As we process the tragic events at Apalachee High School, our thoughts are with our Barrow County School partners and their families, along with those who live in the Barrow community. A number of our teacher candidates were present at Apalachee or in other Barrow County Schools today. Our first priority is to support our students, faculty, and staff who have been affected by this tragedy. 

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) will be available to any students, faculty, and staff who would like to speak with a mental health professional on Thursday from 2-4 p.m. and on Friday from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in Aderhold Hall Room 206. Aderhold Room G23 and smaller spaces on the ground floor (Room G9) will be open for College community members to gather on Thursday. CAPS is curating some resources to help faculty and students process their thoughts and feelings about today’s events. Please recognize that each person processes grief differently and on a schedule that might not be predictable. This is a helpful resource from the American School Counselor Association.

• Student Care and Outreach works with students who may be experiencing distress and/or difficult circumstances. They have a team of staff to assist students in connecting with and navigating resources and support services here on campus and in Athens. If you need anything in the coming days, please contact their office at 706-542-8479 Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., or you can walk in without an appointment to their office located at 318 Tate Student Center. You are also welcome to fill out an online form anytime to request assistance.
• CAPS at the University Health Center provides 24/7 support; students can call or walk-in Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., no appointment necessary. Students can call after 5 p.m. on weekdays and anytime 24/7 on weekends and holidays by calling 706-542-2273 and will connect with an on-call clinician. There are no out-of-pocket costs for any CAPS service.

At this time, Barrow County has not released an official word regarding school opening/closings for the remainder of this week. We will keep you informed as we receive guidance from our partner schools. As much as we will follow their directives for pacing and timing, please cancel and reschedule any school visits or observations of teacher candidates through at least Friday, Sept. 13. Teacher candidates are to follow the guidance of their mentor teachers when it comes to working in their Barrow County placement site should schools be open. In some cases, students’ engagement might be welcome; in other cases, schools might not be at a place to have the bandwidth to have our students present. Some candidates will want to be in schools while others will not be ready to return to schools; please respect students’ wishes.

Students who are placed in locations other than Barrow County may make their own decisions about whether to attend placements this week; candidates should let mentor teachers and supervisors know if they do not plan to attend their placements. Faculty are encouraged to provide a time and place for students to come together this week, so they can be in community with one another. Some students will not want to come to campus; others will want to be with their peers; others will want a normal school day routine. Consider not covering academic content in teacher education classes tomorrow.

As a community of educators, we are saddened by today’s tragedy but join with other partners in supporting our colleagues during this challenging time. As schools are at the core of our society, you might be called on in the coming days in many ways to support one another. As you help others, please remember to also care for yourself.