Schenectady district schedules suicide awareness forums
Staff reports Last updated: 1:06 a.m., Thursday, March 5, 2009
SCHENECTADY -- The city school district has scheduled several forums in response to two student suicides in one week.
Four meetings are scheduled, two specifically for students and two are open adult forums.
A student forum will be held today from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at Faith United Methodist Church, located at the corner of Brandywine and Eastern Avenue.
Students are encouraged to discuss with peers anything that is troubling. Community and school members will be available and food will be provided.
An adult forum will be held today from 6 - 7:30 p.m. at Schenectady High School's Black Box Theatre. Those attending should enter through the fine arts wing doors near the sculpture.
The adult forum will consist of a panel discussion with community and school staff regarding services available to Schenectady children and parents. The forum will include a question and answer session as well as information from community service providers.
Representative from the school district, child guidance, BOCES, parent and emergency responders will be on hand to answer questions. This forum is also open to students.
A second student forum will be held Monday, March 9 from 3:30 - 4:45 p.m. at the Schenectady High School Commons. Community and school members will be on hand and those wishing to attend can take the late bus home.
SCHENECTADY Student’s suicide is 4th since Nov. Girl, 14, found Thursday night at home BY STEVEN COOK Gazette Reporter
A fourth Schenectady High School student took her life Thursday night, school officials confirmed. Three other young women have committed suicide since late November. The 14-year-old was found dead inside a Victory Avenue home just before 10:30 p.m., police said. Authorities did not release the student’s identity. The latest death left school officials asking for help to get suicide prevention information out to parents. Superintendent of Schools Eric Ely said in a statement, “We are deeply saddened that a student took her own life last night and we are also deeply concerned about the impact that this and other recent tragedies are having on our students, staff and community. This is a plea to you to help us share important resources during these difficult times. We need the help of everyone in our community, including the media.” District officials noted efforts at outreach and support for teens and adults in trouble. A community and school task force met early Friday. Most of the members were at the high school providing outreach, screenings, preventive counseling and grief counseling. “Our goal as a school community,” Ely said, “is to reach every child and adult who feels alone, is hurt, desperate and needs help.” District officials reached out for help Friday. It was a quick response after some had criticized the effectiveness of response to the first three student deaths. For three months, district officials kept quiet the suicides, the first in November, the second in February, the third March 1. After the third death, the district decided silence had become more dangerous than publicity. The school tried to head off suicides by offering grief counselors after the first girl killed herself on Nov. 25. Since then, five of her friends tried to kill themselves, and two died. It was unclear if Thursday night’s death was related. In releasing the information Friday, the district emphasized that it was not intended to ....................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar00102
The latest death left school officials asking for help to get suicide prevention information out to parents.
I know I'll probably get beat up for this one....but I don't see this as a 'school' issue as much as a personal, family issue. Not to mention that kids may perceive this as 'glamorization'. The parents should take the responsibility to take notice of their children's behavior. Emotional and physical and act on it. The county has it's lion's share of churches and non-profits out there where parents can reach out for help.
As far as the school's involvement goes......they clearly have enough problems of their own.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Agreed that it is the families primary responsibility.
This has been an ongoing problem at Sch'dy High for YEARS and only now do they admit there is a problem. There was no connection between the earlier suicides according to the administration(?) How can the community get involved if the district is hiding the truth? They were more worried about bad publicity than preventing another tragedy. Yet another instance of a dysfunctional District, lowest rated in the area, that needs to be taken over by State Education.
As Sunday’s chilling Gazette story makes clear, Schenectady has a real problem on its hands with the recent rash of teen suicides. What’s even worse, there may be little that “official” Schenectady — police, school or social welfare agencies — can do to solve the problem, though they’d be failing at their jobs if they didn’t at least try. Indeed, it seems that officialdom’s failure to address a gang-related situation after the fi rst girl committed suicide, last Nov. 25, contributed to the subsequent suicides of three of her friends. As Gazette Reporter Kathleen Moore’s story distressingly detailed, the latter three looked up to the first to protect them from assaults by bullies, both in their neighborhood and at school. Thus if police, school and mental health officials had done a better job coordinating a response to that problem, it’s possible they might have been able to prevent the ensuing suicides, not to mention attempts by other girls. This is not to suggest that fixing the problem would have been easy; it wouldn’t have been then just as it won’t be now, because a big part of the solution is getting the teens to open up and report incidents of physical abuse. The inner-city culture — and not just among kids, but parents — strictly forbids “snitching.” For years, this has been a big issue for police in Schenectady’s drug turf wars. But when the victims are minors, and they aren’t committing crimes, more of an effort must be made to protect them — especially if they’re willing to talk. But even if they aren’t, police and school officials need to reach out to them, to take a more active role in determining what’s going on and doing something about it. Unfortunately, active is not a word that comes immediately to mind when describing how they’ve responded thus far — to these as well as other acts of bullying, violence and crime in their midst. So it is somewhat understandable if the protagonists here don’t exactly trust them. Still, parents can’t count on gang ............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar00502
As a friend of the first of four Schenectady High School suicide victims since November, I am very worried about what has been done to help grieving friends and students at the school. I am very aware of the effects of suicide on young teens, and feel much more needs to be done to prevent future attempts among all teens, and especially Schenectady High School students. I feel that a successful way to help prevent suicides in young teens is promoting the idea of seeking help from others. A lot of teens are embarrassed, unlikely to visit school counselors and are afraid of talking to friends because they don’t want to get in trouble. Many teens don’t feel like talking about their problems, but it’s a better alternative than suicide. A great way for teens to seek help is through 1-800-SUICIDE, a free, 24-hour service that is completely anonymous. It is available to everyone who has access to a telephone. The National Suicide Prevention Hotline is not promoted enough. I have suggested it to teens with suicidal thoughts who had never heard of it, and they returned to me very grateful. I would be very grateful if the service was promoted, and I’m sure others at risk of suicide would be also.
Again....this is the 'parents' responsibility. NOT the school. The city school district clearly has it's set of problems, but this is clearly not one of them.
My heart goes out to all of those left behind. I can't even imagine. But don't look to the school for a resolve.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Anti-discrimination law would cut school bullying, suicides
The rash of student suicides at Schenectady High School demonstrates the urgent need for the Dignity for All Students Act [DASA], legislation that would empower educators in Schenectady and throughout the state to provide all students a safe, comfortable learning environment. DASA, which the Assembly passed April 8, would amend state education law to protect public school students from harassment and discrimination based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion, religious practice, weight, disability, sexual orientation, gender or sex. The bill's protections are not limited to these categories, as it aims to protect students from any harassment that substantially interferes with their education. The bill would require teachers and staff to be trained to properly address instances of harassment and discrimination. It would require monitoring and reporting of such incidents. School is a nightmare for students facing daily harassment. Victims of persistent harassment lose focus on class work, skip school, engage in drinking, drugs and other high-risk behaviors, and, most tragically, often contemplate suicide. Gov. Paterson has endorsed DASA. The state Senate must quickly pass this important legislation. The tragic suicides that rocked Schenectady High School demonstrate the terrible toll persistent bullying exacts on children. We can't wait another day.
MELANIE TRIMBLE Albany The writer is director of the Capital Region Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union.
The last thing we need is more laws enforce the ones already on the books, bullying and harassment is considered assault so enforce the law. A new law won't prevent suicide any more than the drug laws are preventing drug use.
I am not condoning bullying, harassment or name calling. But when and how has our young society become so sensitive to this bad behavior? Again, I am not condoning or defending it, but kids have been cruel and doing this to other kids for decades.
I am Italian and had my share of name calling and harassment. I was not allowed to be friends with other kids of a different nationality because I was Italian. There were some that were Polish that went through the same. There was even a Jewish boy who probably got harassed and made fun of more than anyone else. Kids were made fun of if they had pimples, long hair, short hair, if they wore glasses, not so in style clothes and so on. Again, not condoning this behavior, but no one committed suicide over it. In fact, back then, we never even told our parents or teachers about it.
I have talked to kids today, that I went to school with and we laugh about it. Have kids gotten worse with this bullying? It is just so sad.
Kids have not gotten worse....the 'adults' in society that make $$ on advertising/marketing/photographing/music etc have made a plastic world standard and now that we all have phones with pictures/tvs/computers etc with access/exposure to the world view ALL the time, there will be 'casualties' and the rest will be as hard as stone.......
and there are no golden rules....just golden parachutes and golden politicians........
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Building school community to fight suicide Schenectady city schools are making prevention a priority after the deaths of four high school girls in the past year
By LAUREN STANFORTH, Staff writer First published in print: Saturday, August 29, 2009
SCHENECTADY -- Lisa Seymour sleeps in the bedroom where her 14-year-old daughter, Cherelle Clarke, killed herself.
Seymour looks up and can see where Cherelle wrote on the walls, the purple marker still visible five months later despite multiple coats of white paint.
She doesn't want to forget Cherelle for a second. And she doesn't want the community to forget her either.
Cherelle was one of four girls at Schenectady High School who killed themselves in the past year, crushing the community with grief and forcing the school district and health providers to tackle a taboo subject that's often handled quietly.
Public meetings drew hundreds of people. A task force met biweekly this summer. The state Office of Mental Health hired a Harvard expert to work with the community.
Most of the girls knew each other and wrestled with their own personal and emotional problems.
Now as the start of the school year approaches, the school district has placed a priority on suicide prevention efforts. Depression screening will be offered to every one of the 660 ninth-graders entering the high school, and an assignment calendar every student receives and the freshman handbook contain information about getting help.
"I'm not going to let my guard down," said Lynn Rafalik, director of pupil personnel services for Schenectady schools, "and neither will the team."
The team is the task force that includes groups like Northeast Parent & Child Society, Ellis Hospital and the Schenectady County Probation Department.
"I think they're going to be well-prepared," said Robert Macy, the Harvard Medical School researcher who returned to Schenectady this week for training sessions with school social workers, psychologists and health teachers. .................>>>>...................>>>>............http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=836279
Yes the parents are partly to blame, but most child suicides (In my opinion) happen from peer bullying from what i tend to read. A poor school environment can contribute greatly to these courses of action. Of course, personally, i would do everything in my power to keep my kid from going to a public city school, but some parents don't really care....
Humm.. that's quite the circle of logic
I don't spell check! Sorry... If you include "No offense" in a statement, chances are, your statement is offensive.
Suicide worry part of school's start in Schenectady Tuesday, September 8, 2009 By Michael Goot (Contact) Gazette Reporter
SCHENECTADY — As Schenectady students come back to school today, administrators are watchful for signs from any who may be troubled enough to consider suicide. Four students killed themselves during the past academic year and officials are trying to prevent any more. School officials have sent out forms to parents of freshmen asking if they want them to be screened for suicidal tendencies. “We will screen every child that we can,” said Lynn Rafalik, director of pupil personnel services. Other new initiatives have been the establishment this summer of a drop-in counseling center at the high school for any student who wants to come in and talk about problems. This effort was funded by a $50,000 grant from the Department of Education. The grant runs for six months, so Rafalik said she wants to apply for a second grant to establish a full-year counseling center at the high school. The district has put suicide hot line information on its Web site and handed out information about suicide in freshman handbooks. “I’m certainly working my tail off to make sure these kids are OK,” she said. Rafalik said the district will continue many of the same initiatives that started last year. These include the regular “speak outs” students can have with administrators to discuss problems..................>>>>..........................>>>>..............................................http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2009/sep/08/0908_suicides/
‘Safe Talk’ course seeks to raise awareness for families, educators Sunday, September 13, 2009 By Michael Goot (Contact) Gazette Reporter
SCHENECTADY — Parents, school administrators and friends must make sure they do not “dismiss, miss or avoid” signs someone may be considering suicide. “We have to use all of our senses,” said Melanie Puorto, the director of suicide prevention initiatives for the state Office of Mental Health in Albany. Adults need to pick up on changes in a child’s mood or behavior, Puorto said. For example, such signs could be if they are normally outgoing and happy and they suddenly become withdrawn; if they were well groomed and they suddenly care less about their appearance; or if they’re suddenly moody and more irritable. Other signs are if they start saying that life is no longer worth living, if they start giving away their possessions or having unrelenting sorrow with tears that don’t go away. Puorto will present a “Safe Talk” suicide awareness and prevention course for students, families and educators on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at First United Methodist Church at 603 State St., Schenectady. The Capital Region Theological Center is sponsoring the event, which costs $60 to attend. For more information, call 462-2470 or visit http://www.capitalrtc.org. This event is in response to the four Schenectady High students who committed suicide during the last school year and others who attempted to kill themselves. Puorto has been giving this course throughout Schenectady County during the last six months. She has offered the class to community groups, nurses, clergy members, faith formation teachers in the Albany Catholic Diocese and other schools, including in the Schalmont district.................>>>>.....................>>>>..................http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2009/sep/13/0914_suicide_talk/
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Agreed that it is the families primary responsibility. 
