Grief counselors were to be on hand until 6 p.m. Tuesday night and all day Wednesday in the Secaucus High School/Middle school cafeteria after a Middle School student was pronounced dead on Monday, Columbus Day.
School psychologists and social workers also will be on hand throughout the week for additional counseling as needed.
The Secaucus School District will also make these resources available to parents who are concerned about helping their children through the grieving process.
In a letter that will be sent home to parents of public school children in Secaucus, Schools Superintendent Cynthia Randina states:
“The staff and administrators of the Secaucus School District express our deepest condolences to this student’s family and friends. Often when we hear of another’s death, our own feelings about death surface. Children, like adults, begin to think of their own experiences with death and many feelings surface. These feelings may focus on the student who has died, the death of someone who has died in the past, an impending death, or anxiety about loss in general.”
“During the days and weeks ahead, you may find that your child is feeling confused or upset. Accepting and validating your child’s feelings is beneficial and will facilitate the process of helping your child cope with this tragedy.”
The school system is also providing a list of resources, including contact information for crisis hotlines and local clergy, to assist youths you may need long-term support in the aftermath of this tragedy.
Neither Police Chief Dennis Corcoran nor Detective Sergeant John Buckley were immediately available Tuesday to confirm the circumstances of the student’s death. Some rumors suggested it may have been a suicide, but those could not be confirmed on Tuesday. -E. Assata Wright