Above all else, nothing is more important than meeting the personal/social needs of all of our kids to ensure that they remain safe and healthy. I recognize the importance of a direct and honest collaboration between school and our students' parents to support that partnership for student safety. It is with a heavy heart that I must inform the Lovejoy parent community that a Willow Springs student chose to end his life this past weekend. This family has a sibling on the Sloan Creek Campus. We received word that he passed this morning. I am not releasing any details related to this situation out of respect to the student and to allow the family privacy during this devastating time of loss.
However, we must all be hyper vigilant to pay close attention to all of our kids during this time. Adolescents in particular often struggle with the loss of a peer and as a result, may need additional support from the significant adults in their life. To help support students at Sloan Creek our counselors have prepared designated rooms at school to meet with students and help them in their grieving. We know from experience that kids who are experiencing moderate to severe anxiety and/or depression are often impacted at moderate to severe levels in response to the passing of a fellow teen. Also, those students among us who have lost friends and/or family members to suicide are often drawn back into the pain and loss that they have previously experienced.
My intent of this communication is to draw all of our attention toward our children to ensure that they are receiving the level of support that they need. Also, please know that we will partner with you concerning any individual needs that you may see in your son or daughter. Please feel free to contact our counselor, Mrs. Smith or myself if you have any specific concerns. If you choose to send us an email that needs immediate attention, please put ACTION REQUIRED in the subject line. If you call and leave a message, please be explicit about the need for action. I am also including parent resources below for you to access if needed. As a safety net for communication, our superintendent, Ted Moore, is willing and available to assist us as needed. He can always be reached on his cell 972-415-8129; a message is fine but a text message will likely get the quickest response.
As always, feel free to call my cell 24/7
