Dear Families,

Sadness has once again gripped our school community. Precious Wallaces, a beautiful and well-loved girl that attended the Consentino School, passed this afternoon after an accident over the weekend left her on life supports. Our condolences and thoughts go out to the family and friends of Precious. As we open our schools, our students will be faced with this tragic news and will begin to cope with the inevitable grief that comes with losing a classmate and friend. As a school system, we will be offering counseling and bereavement support services to all our students and staff, particularly those who knew Precious well at the Consentino and Tilton Schools.

For those just learning of Precious’s tragic passing from this letter, I encourage you to talk about this sad news with your child. The passing of a friend is a difficult and challenging situation that can generate a high level of anxiety and distress in many students. Children often have limited experience coping with a loss like this and may be confused as to how to handle grief. Hearing the news from a loved one, accompanied by reassuring words and the opportunity to voice fears and sadness, can provide great comfort to both children and adults when facing a loss. I have included below some resources from Riverside Trauma Center to support you in the difficult days to come.

Counseling staff from Haverhill Public Schools will be at onsite and organized to support our students tomorrow morning. Additionally, staff from Riverside Trauma Center will be available to families by phone as requested. Please contact the school at 978-374-5775 if you feel that specific follow-up with your child would be helpful.

I will be reaching out to share with you information about services as it becomes available. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family during this time of loss and grief. Thank you for your support as we move forward.

Sincerely,

Margaret Marotta
Superintendent of Schools

Normal Expected Reactions to Death
Understanding The Grief of Children
Talking With Your Children About Traumatic Events