(Published Tuesday, January 16, 2007 11:22:15 AM CST)
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
By Frank Schultz Gazette staff
Parker High School faced the shock and grief Monday. Two of their own were suddenly gone forever.
Junior Nicole Lentz and freshman Scott Lentz, along with their mother, Danyetta Lentz, were found murdered at their home south of Janesville on Friday.
"Students are sharing memories, positive memories, about both students," assistant principal Dan Keyser said.
Keyser spoke at a news conference the school district held at its downtown offices Monday.
"It is painful. They're family. Parker is a family," Keyser said. "We work very hard at trying to build connections between students and staff, and it certainly is a devastating blow to the family at Parker."
The district called the news conference to respond to requests from electronic news media, said Sheryl Miller, the district's information coordinator.
"Some of the students are pretty tearful," said Marge Hallenbeck, the district's coordinator of student services, one of several administrators who helped out at Parker on Monday.
Hallenbeck said school psychologists and school social workers were assigned from other schools to augment Parker's counseling staff Monday.
"The mood at the school is just somber. Some of the teachers are very upset," while others didn't know the Lentzes well, Hallenbeck said.
The counselors were meeting with students in groups and one-on-one, Hallenbeck said. Two counselors were assigned to follow Nicole's and Scott's class schedules and be available to students who knew them from their classes.
Hallenbeck said 10 to 15 students were coming in for counseling each hour. Often, the students were reacting to the empty desks where their classmates had sat.
"And when they get to classes and the seat's empty, even though we send a counselor in, it's really hitting them that this is real, that they're not going to be there," Hallenbeck said.
"Also, it sets off reminders. If you've lost a loved one, just talking about death, many times, brings a lot of those feelings back and a lot of that sadness back," Hallenbeck said.
Keyser said Nicole was active in choir. Scott was a member of the Human Relations Club and was a diversity trainer. The trainers are students who volunteer to talk at schools about diversity and try to build "connectedness," Keyser said.
Requests for counseling increased after lunch Monday, apparently after students talked among themselves about the tragedy, Hallenbeck said.
Parker Principal Dale Carlson did not attend the 1 p.m. news conference because he believed he was needed at school, Miller said.
Hallenbeck said counseling will be available in the days ahead. The need could come even a week or more from now as the loss sinks in, she said.
A letter sent home to parents suggested children might need to talk about the deaths.
"Due to the fact that this is an apparent homicide, the need may be even greater," the letter states. "… These students will be greatly missed."
