Sonoma County Schools: Fire Anniversary Resources

Recognizing that the one-year anniversary of the October 2017 wildfires could be a difficult time for many, SCOE is providing the following information and resources for the community, educators, parents, and children.

The Fire's Impact on Sonoma County Public Schools

Spotlight on Sonoma County Schools | Published August 2018 This annual insert in the Press Democrat celebrates Sonoma County public schools. This year, the publication highlights the incredible efforts of the educational community to respond to and recover from the devastating wildfires of October 2017. Download the accessibleis PDF here or click below to view in an interactive format.

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Growing Through Adversity | February 2018 In this SCOE Bulletin, we look back at how the educational community came together to help students and schools during the North Bay firestorm. Read on for stories celebrating the courage and dedication of school staff; advice on healing from tragedy given by an expert in school crisis; and links to helpful videos and resources.

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Helping Children with Trauma

• SCOE Flier (bilingual): Helping Your Child Recover From Trauma
• Tips for Teachers: Marking Anniversaries in the Classroom (pdf): This flier is adapted from information from the SAMHSA website and provided by Sonoma County Behavioral Health.
• Coping With Traumatic Event Anniversaries (pdf): Information provided by SAMHSA's National Mental Health Information Center
• Parents' guide to helping children who have experienced wildfires: This PDF from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network helps adults know how to help children who have been impacted by a wildfire.
• Coloring book:This coloring book was specifically written for children who have been through major fires. It was funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
• The Fire Story: This interactive book written by a local educator is meant to help students share their feelings about the fire.


SCOE Podcast: Helping Children Recover from a Crisis | March 2018In this podcast, Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools Steve Herrington talks with school psychologist Mary Champion about how to help children recover from a traumatic event, such as the fires that devastated Sonoma County, or any other crisis. The podcast includes: Warning signs for trauma, simple steps adults can take to help, and how adults can care for themselves during difficult times. Podcast en Español Haga clic aquí para escuchar el Podcast “Ayudando a Niños Recuperar de una Crisis” en Español. (“Helping Children Recover from a Crisis”)

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Community Resiliency Resources

• Sonomacountyrecovers.org: the information site for recovery efforts related to the Sonoma County fires. This is an official page for the County of Sonoma and City of Santa Rosa and is a resource for all things concerning these unprecedented disasters that have affected our community.
• California HOPE Project-Free Counseling: This free program provides confidential counseling and disaster education to Sonoma County fire survivors.
  Download the California HOPE Project flier (English)
  Download the California HOPE Project flier - Spanish
• Sonomacounty.recovers.org: A community-based offering of resources.
• Integrated Wellness Center: Santa Rosa City School's Integrated Wellness Center is now open to provide free services to families in the community who are feeling the effects of the October 2017 wildfires. These services include counseling, basic nursing services, and academic support.
• Rebuilding Hope, Wildfire Mental Health Collaborative Video:This brief (5:45 minutes) video shares information on the work of the Wildfire Mental Health Collaborative.

Events

Numerous events to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the fires will be taking place in October. See a full list at sonomacountrecovers.org.

Recap of SCOE's Fire Relief Efforts

• SCOE's Fire Relief Efforts -- Summary:This article recaps all SCOE's fire relief efforts, including its use of $500,000 in grant funds
• SCOE Student Mental Health Efforts (pdf): This flier outlines Sonoma County Office of Education's numerous efforts to address student resilience and mental health following the wildfires.
• Fire Relief Fund: SCOE created the School Fire Relief Fund to provide a one-stop location where individuals or organizations could provide support directly to school districts in Sonoma County. Thank you to the many donors who generously supported Sonoma County Schools through the SCOE Fire Relief Fund after the fire, donating close to $50,000 to directly benefit students in Sonoma County. The funds have been allocated to Sonoma County School Districts based on the number of students they serve who were affected by the fire. If you are a donor who would like to support Sonoma County schools, there is still great need in our community—particularly in regard to student mental health support. If you have questions about SCOE's fire relief efforts, please contact SCOE Communications Specialist Jamie Hansen at jhansen@scoe.org.