8/17/2019 COCA CRESPO Letter.docx

1/1

  Mary G. Porter Traditional School15311 Forest Grove Dr.   Woodbridge, VA 22191

703.580.6501   www.pwcs.edu/Porter

 Darci Whitehead, Principal  

May 13, 2016

Dear Porter Family:

We are saddened to inform you that our Porter community has suffered a tragic loss. Luis Coca Crespo, an eighth-grade student, died last night. Today, as a result of his death, your child was provided the opportunity to participatein voluntary group or individual counseling by our staff and our crisis response team. Our staff will continue to be

available next week as needed, to help students manage their grief.

Please pay par ticular attention to your child’s emotional needs during the next few weeks. A few suggestions forhelping your child are:

  Encourage your child to talk with you about the feelings he/she may be experiencing concerning life and

death. Sharing similar experiences that you have had may be very useful. Let your child know you are

available to talk about this loss and to answer questions.

  Be aware that your child may not feel like “business as usual” for a while. Talk about ways to feel better.  

 

It is strongly recommended that you accompany your child to the funeral or memorial service, if your childexpresses an interest in attending. Funeral information is not available at this time.

  Watch for ongoing signs of difficulty, which could indicate that your child may need additional help. Someof the signs to watch for are: prolonged sadness, withdrawal from social contacts, a change in eating or

sleeping habits, or other behaviors unusual for your child.

Both Porter counselors, Ms. Pruski and Ms. Kargbo, can provide additional information on school and community

resources to help you and your child. As always, please do not hesitate to contact myself, Ms. Engelmeier, or ourcounselors if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Darci Whitehead

http://www.pwcs.edu/Porterhttp://www.pwcs.edu/Porter