Dear Parents and Staff,
We are saddened to inform you that one of our Cle Elum-Roslyn High School students passed away in a snowboarding accident last night. Our school is providing an opportunity for students and staff to discuss and work through issues related to the crisis and grief process with school counselors and additional crisis counselors.
Middle and High school aged students will have additional opportunities to participate in group or individual counseling provided by counseling and crisis staff. Participation in these activities is voluntary. Staff will continue to be available as needed to help students deal with their grief and we will have additional counselors on site for the rest of the week.
This morning at Cle Elum-Roslyn HS, teachers and Administrators read the following statement in all first period classes:
“Today we received the tragic news that one of our students died yesterday evening in a snowboarding accident. When a loss like this occurs, we are likely to have different reactions and experience many different feelings. Some people will want to have a quiet time to remember him, while others may want to talk to someone about how they are feeling. Some may want to continue working. We should be respectful to these different reactions and be supportive of each other.
It is stressful any time death touches us. This sudden death may be quite shocking to you and confuse you. For these reasons, we especially want you to know of our care and support.
The school day will remain on schedule, but teachers may delay regular activities to allow you to talk. Please let your teacher know if you need to talk to a counselor. We have counselors and therapists available at school today. As Warriors we take care of one another and this will be one of those times we lean on each other.
We will keep you updated as we receive further information.”
Please pay particular attention to your child’s emotional needs during the next few weeks..
Encourage your child to talk with you about the feelings he or she is experiencing concerning the death. Judiciously sharing similar experiences that you have had may be very useful. Make yourself available to talk about the death and to answer questions.
Talk about ways to feel better.
Initiate a discussion of the death with your child. Research shows that this helps the healing process.
It is strongly recommended that you accompany your child to the funeral or memorial service, if you judge that this is necessary.
Watch for ongoing signs of difficulty, which may indicate that your child may need additional help. Possible signs are prolonged sadness, withdrawal from social contact, changes in eating or sleeping habits, or other behaviors unusual for your child.
If you need assistance, please contact the school. Our counselors can provide a list of school community resources in addition to the resources listed on the backside of every school ID card, here are additional options that may be helpful:
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 or www.crisistextline.org (24/7 free crisis counseling via text message for anything: anxiety, depression, suicide, school.)
Teenlink: Call or text 1-866-TEENLINK (833-6546) https://www.teenlink.org/ (Evenings 6-9:30 pm, a help line for teens by teens)
If you would like to connect with a school counselor about your student, please email:
Elementary School Counselor, Margo McLeod mcleodm@cersd.org
Middle School Counselor, Abbey Howell howella@cersd.org
High School Counselor, Diane Januszkiewicz dianej@cersd.org
This is a difficult time for all of us and it is important that we come together as a community to support each other.
Be Well.
John Belcher
Superintendent
Cle Elum-Roslyn School District