News Regarding a G2 Student

Dear Faculty and Staff,

I hope this message finds you well. I’m just home from my mother-in-law’s memorial service in Adelaide, Australia. It was a beautiful service benefiting a great lady. Thank you to everyone who expressed such lovely sentiments.

Today, I’m writing to inform you of some very difficult news shared with our Grade 2 parents yesterday. One of their children’s classmates, Ambra, has been diagnosed with cancer. Our hearts go out to Ambra and her family, and it is with their permission we are sharing this news with you, as she is starting treatment immediately in Bangkok, Thailand.

Her parents are optimistic, kind, and open, and we remain in frequent contact with them. And although Ambra will be away for the remainder of the school year, the treatment is ongoing, and we are all very hopeful that she will be back to start grade 3 with us in August.

We know how difficult it can be to hear the news of Ambra’s diagnosis and the many questions and emotions that can surface. Below, you will find the information you may need as you process this news and what you can do to support Ambra’s family, your students, who may know of this news through a sibling or friend, and of course, yourselves. We will also be sharing this news with our all-school parent community.

Supporting Ambra’s Family

As Ambra embarks on her treatment plan, a card, message, letter, or prayer can provide a ray of sunshine and a reminder that we are thinking about her and serve as a source of strength and comfort. We will set up a collection basket in the ES Office for your messages to the family and arrange to have them delivered to Bangkok, and we are exploring other ways to support them as a community.

Supporting Students

Students who learn of Ambra’s cancer diagnosis may ask you for answers or reassurance. Our divisional counselors are prepared to provide extra counsel and support in addressing their questions, and Jacob Humes, our school psychologist, has shared the following 3-step process:

1. Give time for sharing. Accept without correcting. “What have you heard?” or “What do you know about what has happened?
2. Dispel rumors and possible fears. “This is the information that I have from the Principal.”
3. Accept and explore comments, working toward a positive plan to continue the class or activity. “How will this affect our classroom today?” or “What can we do to have a successful class?”

This document provides additional guidance and a Q&A addressing questions that students may have about childhood cancer.

Supporting Each Other

For your well-being, please also acknowledge the feelings that this news may surface in you. And should you need additional support, please know that we are opening our counseling services to faculty across our divisions. They can provide a listening ear and guidance for working with students or direct you to further support in Ho Chi Minh City.

• ES Shawn Edwards (sedwards@ssis.edu.vn) and Lance Paul (lpaul@ssis.edu.vn)
• MS Meghan Ricker (mricker@ssis.edu.vn)
• HS Matt Stevens (mstevens@ssis.edu.vn) Steve Petraglia (spetraglia@ssis.edu.vn) Deviyani Pathak (dpathak@ssis.edu.vn) and Kristy Finlay (kfinlay@ssis.edu.vn)
• AS Jacob Humes (jhumes@ssis.edu.vn).

Thank you for your understanding, compassion, and dedication to our students and community. Let us ensure that we create an environment of empathy and understanding as we support Ambra and her family during this challenging time.

All good wishes,
Catriona