Dear West Hempstead School Community,
I am heartbroken to inform you that our district learned this morning of the tragic passing of a West Hempstead High School student. On behalf of the entire school district, I offer my sincere condolences and sympathies to their family and friends. Due to privacy reasons, we are unable to disclose the student's name at this point.
The loss of a student is always difficult and can be extremely challenging for children and teens to process. We understand that the coming days and weeks will be extremely hard for many school community members. We have enacted our crisis plan, and grief counselors will be made available to any student or staff member needing assistance. In addition, we have set up counseling "centers" in the HS for students and staff who may need to access this resource.
I have also included several links below to online resources that address child and teen grief. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us should you need additional assistance.
Again, on behalf of the district, we extend our deepest condolences to those who knew our student.
Sincerely,
Daniel Rehman
Superintendent of Schools
Online Resources:
Addressing Grief, from the National Association of School Psychologists
The Child's Loss: Death Grief and Mourning, by Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D., and Jana Rubenstein, M.Ed., LPC
How to Help a Grieving Teen, from the Dougy Center