March Break is Over!

This year's March Break brought a great deal of heartache to Northwestern. One of our grade nine students, Kasey Pestell, passed away unexpectedly as a result of meningitis. As adults we can all empathize and sympathize with the Pestell family. Losing a great young man who was a son, brother, grandson, nephew, and cousin creates a tear in the fabric of a family that will never be completely mended.

For many of the students at Northwestern, Kasey's passing is their first experience with death and it's an experience that they often can't begin to comprehend. Though many of the students attended the funeral, which is often found to be the beginning of one's coming-to-terms with a death, it was the reality that school started again without Kasey and that life resumed on its previous schedule that really brought home the finality of life. Some students wanted to talk about Kasey, others were unable to do so. Our counsellors and teachers and Diane Ferguson-Brown, our health nurse, will continue to work with our students to help them through this difficult time.

We expect that over the next few years as Kasey's classmates move through high school, the heartache of his loss will begin to fade. He'll always be remembered as the good friend they had in elementary school and in grade 9 who had a ready smile and a zest for life.

Neither the staff nor the students at Northwestern will forget Kasey and we'll continue to look for ways to help his friends and family through these very difficult experiences.