Graminia Mourns the Loss of Naomi Nevesely

Dear Parents/Guardians and Students:

It is with great sadness that I inform you of the passing of a young student at Graminia School. Grade 2 student, Naomi Nevesely lost her brave battle with cancer on Tuesday. She is survived by her mother, father and her two younger brothers. Naomi had a boundless spirit and a warm heart. Her light and energy has warmed Graminia halls since she was in Kindergarten. She loved school and she was a talented little artist. She loved to sing and dance. Naomi will be remembered as an old soul with immense love and admiration for her family.

Condolences on behalf of Graminia 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. The family understands the community’s need to mourn and grieve Naomi’s passing, however they have requested privacy, patience and grace during this time. 

Every effort is being made to handle this crisis with honesty, compassion and understanding. We met as a staff at a virtual staff meeting on Tuesday afternoon and the staff is prepared to support students as needed once this very sad news has been shared. Parents, given that we are in the middle of at-home learning, we need your help to share this sad news with your child(ren). There are tips a little further in this letter to help guide you through this difficult task.

Parkland School Division`s Trauma Response Team members will be available to Graminia School to assist students, staff and the family to provide support and to encourage emotional health and well-being. This support will continue for as long as required and we are thankful for their ability to connect.  

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 the deceased was, how or why it happened, the support system available, age, personality, and especially previous loss experience. Your child may become quite 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

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
• Use words or phrases that won’t confuse your child or make the world more frightening.   For example:  using the word ‘sleep’ for death can cause a child to be afraid of going to bed.
• 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,

Mr. Corey Haley, Principal 
Graminia School