Dear Sanford High School Parent/Guardian,
It is with a great deal of sadness that I am informing you of the death of one of our students, Lydia Ashline. Lydia was a senior at Sanford High School. This tragic event has affected both students and staff alike.
Last evening, Lydia died in a car accident in Rochester, NH. We are shocked and saddened by this tragic event. We have made counselors available to anyone in our school community. Special counseling services have been made available to students today and will continue to be available throughout next week or longer if needed.
We wanted all parents to be aware of the situation so that you can discuss this with your child. There is no way to predict how this tragedy might affect your child, but changes in behavior might be a signal that your child may need assistance to deal with the death of a friend. Students will have varied reactions to the death of a peer. Any reaction is normal in the grief process and can range from withdrawal, to crying and anger. Below is a link that provides some information on talking to your child about grief.
https://whatsyourgrief.com/helping-a-teenager-deal-with-grief-2/
If you think your child needs additional counseling support, please do not hesitate to contact the Sanford High School Counseling Office at 207-324-4712.
Thanks for your support as we move forward. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family during this time of loss and grief.
Matt Nelson
Superintendent of Schools