St. Anthony CES grieving after tragic morning collision

Dec. 2, 2020

The following letter was sent to all families at St. Anthony CES in Port Hope following a tragic collision in Northumberland this morning.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As many of you are aware, there was a serious collision this morning that claimed the life of a St. Anthony CES student and sent his sister to the hospital with serious injuries.

Words cannot adequately express our profound shock and deep sorrow over this terrible event. The family has asked for your prayers at this time.

I extend our prayers and most sincere sympathies to the family and to all who have been directly or indirectly impacted by what has occurred. Out of a sign of respect, we have lowered the flags to half-mast at all schools in the Board.

The Board’s crisis response team has been at St. Anthony since this morning to support staff and students at this difficult time. That support, including social workers, will remain in place at the school in the days to come as needed.

We are aware that this incident reaches far into our community. Regardless of connection to the individuals involved, such sad and disturbing news so close to home may bring about a variety of heightened emotions. You and/or your children, may be reading social media posts or watching news reports that are troubling and difficult to process. To assist in these challenging times, we are providing the attached information for parents/guardians on how to speak with children about sensitive topics such as this one. 

If your child is experiencing increased levels of anxiety at this time, please reach out to the agencies listed in the attachment or contact the school for further assistance.

As a Catholic community rooted in faith, we continue to pray for the family members and those affected most directly by this heart-breaking news.

Thank you for your ongoing support and prayers as we grieve this tremendous loss in our school community and beyond.

Yours in Faith,

Karen McCormack
Principal