Schools

Monday a 'Day Filled With Emotion' at Fort Lee High School

The first day of school after the death of a 10th grade student was characterized by crisis response, outpourings of emotion and students and staff stepping up to help, Superintendent says

Fort Lee’s Acting Superintendent of Schools provided details Monday of what took place inside earlier in the day in response to the death of sophomore Matthew Ramon Calderon.

“It shocked all of us, and I can tell you it’s going to be a prolonged healing period for some,” Steven Engravalle said at the Fort Lee Board of Education regular business meeting Monday evening. “And I’m proud to say that we’ve begun to head in the right direction.”

He said he received word of the 10th grader’s death on Saturday at about 10:30 p.m. and began coordinating with high school principal Priscilla Church almost immediately.

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The school’s Crisis Response team, including Engravalle and Church, assistant principal James Albro, Director of School Counseling Services Jamie Ciofalo, Director of Special Services Ann Marie Bruder and Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich, met Sunday and worked late to ensure a plan was in place for Monday, when students returned to school.

“After all the preparations of the previous day, we opened [Monday] with a solid plan of action,” Engravalle said.

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Teachers at the school were notified Sunday that they would meet briefly Monday morning. During the meeting, the administration detailed the circumstances around Matthew’s death “so that teachers would be better equipped to review the facts and dispel any rumors regarding the situation,” Engravalle said.

“They reviewed information to help them meet the demands of dealing with the crisis, such as topics and ways to say certain things and how to handle questions that come from students throughout the day,” he said.

The crisis team arrived early Monday; Engravalle said it was “all hands on deck” when the school building opened.

Counseling arrangements put in place Monday to ensure that students and staff were both supported included the following, according to Engravalle:

  • The high school’s “crisis center,” located in the media center, handled about 160 students.
  • A “drag-in” center was also established in the media center.

“If anyone noticed a child that needed help as they were walking around, we kind of dragged them in and said, ‘Let’s sit down and talk,’” Engravalle said. “And that happened.”

  • School psychologist Reina Sandouk and Marilyn Lopez of special services served as “travelling counselors,” following Matthew’s schedule, “so that they could be in the specific classes with the students who had the most recent contact with Matthew and to assist that teacher to support those students.”
  • Three members of the county crisis team, or “county flight team,” were on hand Monday to help out—something that will continue at least into Tuesday.
  • Administrators developed what they called a “hot list” of students who may have been “most affected” by Matthew’s death.

“This way we could really touch on the members of the basketball team, the friends in the neighborhood, and get to them right away first thing in the morning to provide them as much support as possible,” Engravalle said.

  • All of the high school guidance counselors were deployed as “foot counselors,” walking around the building and bringing students into the crisis center if it appeared they needed it or counseling them right there in the hallway.
  • Pamela Rothman of special services used the faculty room to work with faculty and staff in need of assistance.
  • Other counselors were deployed to and to work with Matthew’s previous teachers if necessary.

“Students and staff were through the sites all day, and they did receive all the assistance necessary,” Engravalle said. “Morning announcements were dedicated to news of Matthew’s death and information about him as a person.”

He added, “At the conclusion of the announcement, which was jarring, a student sang in such a beautiful way, It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye, by Boys II Men, and I can tell you, if there was a dry eye in Fort Lee High School, I’m not sure where that would be.”

Engravalle said the students were “amazing” Monday, organizing efforts on their own like making red ribbons that said, “M.C. RIP,” making signs and other memorial-type messages and condolences, which Engravalle described as “things to show their grief for the loss of Matthew, but also to help each other heal.”

He said the school dedicated a specific location—a bulletin board across from the school cafeteria—to collect all of those materials, which they ultimately plan to give Matthew’s mother.

Plans were also made to raise funds for Matthew’s family to help defer some of the costs of the funeral:

  • The PTA will sell hearts for a dollar apiece Tuesday
  • Students will sell memorial bracelets in honor of Matthew
  • Class collections on Monday alone totaled about $1,000
  • Half the proceeds from Thursday’s high school play will go to the family

BOE member Charlie Luppino said he helped get the private sector involved in helping raise funds, although he didn’t provide specific details.

“It’s not just a school issue; it’s a town issue,” Luppino said. “And there should be no issues with helping the family get along.”

Engravalle called Monday “a day filled with emotion.”

“Our students were respectful; they were focused. They shared memories about Matthew’s life and acknowledged his loss,” he said. “And thanks to the hard work of the crisis team and all the staff that supported our students [Monday], 190 students received support overall. That’s exceptional; that’s 20 percent of the population in our building.”

Funeral arrangements for Matthew Ramon Calderon are Tuesday at Fort Lee’s , with a viewing from 3 to 7 p.m. and a funeral mass at 7 p.m.


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