News from Winter Break

We are sad to share with you that our community has suffered two losses of beloved community members over Winter Break. The first loss was Hailee Melendez, who graduated from Bucktown last year after having attended Bucktown since Kindergarten.  The second loss was current 2nd grader Jovan Jones, who died unexpectedly over Winter Break. We are devastated by this tragic loss and our thoughts and prayers are with their families and friends.
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• A memorial service for Jovan Jones will be held Friday, January 6th, 2017  from 5-9 pm at Casey Funeral Home (4540 W Diversey).
• Funeral services for Hailee Melendez are on Saturday, January 7th, 2017 from 4pm-9pm at Christian Funeral Home (3100 W. Irving Park Rd.).

This loss will likely raise many emotions, concerns, and questions within your families. Families are encouraged to share this information with their student if they feel comfortable. Our students, families, and staff will have grief counseling support available to them from counselors and social workers across the Distinctive Schools network.  Students will be given time to receive the news as a community when they return to class on Monday, January 9th.  Please contact Director Sarah O’Connell if you would like your student to receive any extra support from a social worker or counselor.

​Additionally, please find suggestions to guide your family discussion about this loss with your child below:

• Talk about the loss of their classmate with your child, this gives them permission to talk about it and ask any questions they may have that helps them understand the loss
• Ask your child questions, about how they are feeling,  to determine how they understand the loss of their classmate and to gauge their emotional reactions to it
• Listen patiently, keeping in mind each person will grieve and process death in his or her own way
• Be prepared to discuss the loss repeatedly, children often ask more questions after having time to process
• Only provide important, nondescript facts about what happened and at your child’s development level. For younger children, this might include helping them to understand that the child’s body has stopped working and will never work again.
• Help your child to understand death and to correct any false perceptions they may have about death or about the cause of this child’s death (due to illness)
• Acknowledge that it will take time to mourn and that this mourning process takes time