Dear Taconic Hills CSD Families,
We are all devastated by the news of two of our students being involved in a fatal car accident after school yesterday.
High school junior Landon DeLease passed away at the scene and senior Richard Jennings III was airlifted to the hospital, where he remains in critical condition. He is out of surgery and is currently in recovery. I spoke to the families and received their permission to share this information, though I wanted to give extended family members time to learn of their involvement before sharing with the wider school community. I thank them for taking my call during this difficult time and allowing us to share this information so that we can process and work together to support our students and community members.
This morning, we mobilized our Crisis Response Team to initiate our crisis plan to support our students and staff at school. Last night, we encouraged families to send their child to school so that they would not have to process and cope alone.
Support to the larger community will be available after school from 3-4 p.m. in our high school gymnasium. We encourage our community members to come for assistance, even if they do not have children in school.
All of us are still struggling to make sense of this tragedy and the sudden loss of one of our students. Please know that the Taconic Central School District has an incredible support system, and we will be offering counseling for our students and staff members throughout the week. We also have counselors from Questar III BOCES available to assist us.
We realize that it may be difficult for some to cope with losing their friend and classmate. Everyone reacts to tragedy in different ways, therefore, talking to your child is the best way to know how they are feeling. If you believe your child may need help, do not hesitate to reach out to one of our counselors.
As your child processes this event, you may observe your child:
- Demonstrating sadness, fear and/or confusion
- Acting out or becoming withdrawn
- Exhibiting anger about death
- Having concern for their own safety
Some ways you can support your child include:
- Spending time with your child and assuring their safety
- Talking about this event in an age-appropriate context
- Observing conversations, including text / social media messages, your child is having with their peers
- Having an open and honest discussion about feelings
- Encouraging writing, drawing, and journaling
If you would like to speak to a counselor, please call the High School Office Guidance Department at 518-325-2861.
We have gathered the following additional resources that may be useful to you in speaking with your child – please click on the links for more information:
- Addressing Grief (National Association of School Psychologists)
- Age-Related Reactions to a Traumatic Event (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network)
- Helping Your Child Deal With Death (KidsHealth)
- Supporting Our Loved Ones After the Death of a Family Member or Friend (The Coalition to Support Grieving Students)
Words cannot express our grief, pain, and shock. We will make every effort to help you and your child(ren) during this difficult time.
Sincerely,
Lynnette Brunger
Superintendent of Schools
Taconic Hills Central School District