CFL Mourns the Loss of Naomi Keith

Friday, October 29, 2021 - 

Dear Parents/Guardians and Students,

It is with great sadness that we inform you of the sudden death of a student who was enrolled at Connections for Learning, and had previously attended Memorial Composite High School. Naomi Keith will be dearly missed by her teachers, classmates, and the community. According to staff, Naomi was a talented artist, made a positive impact in her business class, and made a wonderful addition to the school community.

Condolences on behalf of our school have been sent to the family. They have been assured that our thoughts and prayers are with them now and in the coming days and weeks.

PSD`s Trauma Response Team members will be available to Connections for Learning and Memorial Composite High School to assist students and the staff’s emotional health and well-being.

We are aware that students process loss in different ways, and we would encourage you to talk and listen to your children to assist them in understanding this loss. Many factors influence our reaction to death: who, how or why it happened, the support system available, age, personality, and especially previous loss experience. Your child may or may not become distraught as a result of learning about this tragedy. For your information, we have included some information which provides suggestions for helping children grieve.

Parents/Guardians

You can provide valuable assistance to your children during this time. Here are some ideas to consider when talking about this sensitive topic:

• Be attentive to your child when he/she has questions and wants to talk.
• Listen to your child’s feelings and accept them, even if they are different from yours.
• Give honest, simple, brief answers.
• Make sure that your child understands your answers and the meaning that you intend.
• Create opportunities for your children to talk with each other about what happened and how they are feeling.
• Be especially loving and supporting; more than anyone else, your child needs you at this time.

Above all, listen to your children and let them know that their feelings are normal and acceptable.

If you have any concerns regarding your child, please do not hesitate to contact the school.

Sincerely,

Travis McNaughton, Principal
Connections for Learning