Slightly less that a year after the death of Alex Sabados, Turner Middle School students face yet another tragedy.

The Sheriffs Department said that they were called to rural Berthoud on Friday morning to the scene of an unattended death.

In a letter sent to parents, Principal Bill Siebers had this to say,

Dear TMS Parents/Guardians

It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that one of our Turner Students, Nicole Bauer,  passed away this morning. We realize that students will be affected by varying degrees and we want to give you the opportunity to talk with your child about this. We will have the school open today from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and tomorrow morning, Saturday, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. We will have counselers on hand to meet the students should they feel the need for additional support. Please contact me if you have any concerns I can help with

Thank you,

Bill Siebers
Principal

The Thompson School District responded quickly and called out the crisis action team of school psychologists, counselers and support staff. There were twenty councilors at Turner Middle School this afternoon with additional staff at Berthoud Elementary School where the fourteen-year-old girl had attended and at Berthoud High School where her older brother is a student.

Dr. Judy Skupa, Assistant Superintendent for Learning Services, was on hand most of the afternoon to work with Principal Siebers. District Superintendent, Dr. Ron Cabrera also came to the school to add his support.

Dr. Skupa said that at a time like this, “The school community comes together to support the students.” “We just notify people that they are needed and they show” up she added.

The team makes themselves available to any student who needs someone to talk with, singly or in groups. It is a many faceted task and includes explaining grief and evaluating the student’s emotional condition. If conditions warrant, the child is not allowed to leave school alone. The staff will call the parents and ask them to come to the school to pick up their child. The school also works with Hospice of Larimer County in its grief counseling.

The grievance counselers will be on hand on Saturday morning and again on Monday when the normal class schedule begins.

Several of the girl’s friends are sharing their feelings on Facebook. Perhaps the social media will be an additional tool in coping with the loss of a friend.

According to the Larimer County Sheriff, cause of death will not be determined until after a coroner’s examination.