WASHINGTON — A group of elementary school students in Prince George’s County are grieving the loss of their second-grade teacher, who was shot and killed along with her 2-year-old daughter Tuesday.
Twenty-six-year-old NeShante Davis was found in a Fort Washington parking lot Tuesday, and her daughter Chloe Davis-Green was found in a car nearby.
As police investigate their deaths, counselors have been brought in to Bradbury Heights Elementary School in Capitol Heights where Davis taught second grade.
“The entire school community here is pulling together to remember Ms. Davis and certainly to grieve,” Keesha Bullock with Prince George’s County Public Schools tells WTOP.
During a visit to the school Tuesday, Bullock saw how some students were reacting in the wake of Davis’ death.
“I saw today kids writing special notes, and talking about what they liked about their teacher and what they would miss. And we know that talking about it and talking about how they’re feeling is one way to help students cope with grief.”
She says Davis’ students, who are around 7 or 8 years old, had to be told their teacher had died.
“We’re sharing as much as is appropriate for the students’ age, so in many cases we were not giving any details about what occurred, just that Ms. Davis had passed away and that she wouldn’t be here at school,” says Bullock.
Bullock says it’s a very sad situation, but it is one school administrators prepare for.
“The district has a crisis response process, and so a trusted teacher will go and announce to students that there was a loss. And then if they need help or they’d like to talk to someone, then we have a central area set up in a room where they can go speak with a psychologist and talk to someone about how they’re feeling.”
A letter was sent home to parents as well.
“We also sent information home to the entire school to let them know, again, it’s an extremely sad loss, and to provide some guidance on what they can do if they find that their child is in distress or grieving,” Bullock says.
She says counselors will remain available to students and employees at the school as long as they are needed.
