Dear McCall Parents and Caregivers,
I write this message with a heavy heart as I watch TV news reports covering the war that is breaking out in Ukraine. The misery and human suffering that is resulting from this crisis is heartbreaking, and I offer all of you who have connections to Ukraine my best wishes. Even though we are far away from Eastern Europe, we are still affected in one way or another by this terrible event. This is particularly the case with our students who may be getting bits and pieces of information about this war from various forms of media and drawing their own conclusions about what may or may not be happening. My own children are asking questions about the invasion of Ukraine. Some of them are coming from a place of curiosity such as “What is NATO?” and “What is the Soviet Union?” Other questions are signs of legitimate worry such as, “Will the US institute a military draft if we get drawn into a war with Russia?” and “Is a nuclear war likely?” Your children may be having similar thoughts whether they are talking about it or not. I would like to offer you the following blog post from the organization Common Sense Media which provides good information about how to speak with children at various developmental levels about war, crime, and other violent events.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/how-to-talk-to-kids-about-violence-crime-and-war
It is important to remember middle school aged students will find out information from different sources, and there is always chance what they gathered on their own are incomplete or come from unreliable sources. Therefore, I encourage you t to check in with your children about what they are thinking and feeling about this event and make sure the information they have is factual.
As always, our staff are available to help if you believe we can assist you and your students navigate through what may be difficult conversations.
Thank you, and I wish you peace and comfort.
James Lin
Principal
McCall Middle School
