Superintendent Jermain: ‘Last evening, we had an unimaginable loss to our student body and Viking Community’

Newport School Superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain shared some sad news with the community on Friday morning via an email.

“A message from Superintendent Jermain:

Dear Newport Public Schools Staff, Families, and Community,

Last evening we had an unimaginable loss to our student body and Viking Community.

Mental health teams, guidance staff, and additional personnel are at RHS to provide support to our students and staff as we navigate this unexpected tragedy. Please know your children’s health and wellbeing are our number one priority.

Our hearts and condolences go out to the family during this very difficult time.

Please keep everyone in your thoughts and prayers.

Sincerely,

Colleen Burns Jermain”

Further details on the above-mentioned loss are not currently available. This story will be updated when and if further information is made available for the public.

Update

On Friday afternoon, the superintendent shared the following additional information.

May 10, 2024  

Dear Newport Public Schools Parents, Guardians, Families and Staff, 

I want to commend Principal Vance and his entire leadership team, the teachers, staff,  Directors, and our community partners, as well as our support staff from all our schools that  came to provide counseling and assistance today at RHS. Thank you to everyone. 

As we begin this weekend, we thought it may be helpful to provide some additional support for  you, our children and community. 

Tomorrow on Saturday, May 11th, Thompson Middle School will be open from 11am-1pm for on site support with our staff. No appointment is necessary. You/or your child may just drop in if  you have questions or need additional resources to help cope with this recent event. 

Next week we will have support continue throughout the school day for our students and staff.  We strongly recommend all students be present on Monday where we can provide the support  they need and have someone available on site. We urge you to make every effort to have your  child in school or at the very least please make certain they are with an adult or other persons if  they are unable to attend on Monday. Our young people need our support- and here at school we  have the resources to provide them. 

As you support your child during this difficult time, please be on the lookout for any of the  following behaviors: 

1. Withdrawal from friends and family members, 

2.Changes in eating and sleeping patterns, 

3.Neglect of personal appearance, 

4.Lack of response to praise, 

5.Increased irritability, and /or 

6.References to self-harm and plans of suicide either in person or via social media. 

If you do notice an uptick in any of these behaviors please talk to your child/ or seek assistance  from any of the many resources you can access here or call the hotline at 988. 

Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone during this very difficult time. Sincerely,  

Colleen Burns Jermain, Ed.D. 

Superintendent of Schools