August 12 - Sharing sad news

I am deeply saddened to share the news that our friend, colleague, and community member, Deirdre Zele, passed away yesterday afternoon. 

Deirdre’s untimely death comes as a great shock to us all. She had a genuine love for the community of Lincoln and was tremendously devoted to our school, students, and families. A central figure at Lincoln Community School for nearly 20 years, Deirdre initially served in our front office, where she cheerfully greeted staff, students, and families each day. She later took on the critical role of Business and HR Manager in our newly formed district. Regardless of her role, every day she embraced whatever task was necessary for our school, students, and families—whether it involved substituting in classrooms, serving lunch, working with vendors, covering morning drop off, acting as a nurse delegate, or reading with a child. She was a truly special human being and her absence will be deeply felt by all of us.

We recognize that our students may be significantly affected by this news, so we are working with our counselor Joelle to be prepared to provide support for those students who may need it. Joelle has also asked that we share with families this helpful article Helping Children Cope with the Loss of a Teacher or Classmate, which is primarily written for school staff but we thought that families may find the information helpful as well. 

We will be organizing ways to honor Deirdre at the school and will share further details with you in the coming days. In addition, when we learn more about her family’s plans for services, we will share that information out as well.  

In the meantime, we are opening up the school each morning this week from 8AM to noon for anyone who would like to come by and spend time on the school grounds. Please keep in mind that we are still in the process of preparing the school, so there may be some disarray. However, this time of year and the productive chaos involved in getting the school ready for the new year was something that Deirdre truly cherished so we encourage you to stop by the school any morning this week if you feel moved to do so. We are also happy to collect any cards or flowers and share them with her family on your behalf.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Deirdre’s family, friends, and the community that she loved so dearly. 

Amy