Springdale, SC (Paul Kirby) – Just like everyone close to the case, Springdale Elementary School’s students, teachers, and other staff members have just begun the healing process after the body of little Faye Swetlik was located in her Churchill Heights neighborhood Thursday morning. Swetlik was a first grade student at the school. She disappeared just after getting off the bus Monday afternoon. This was after what seemingly started as just another normal school day.
In order to begin the healing process and help with what the students are feeling, Springdale’s Principal Hope Vrana sent all parents a message Thursday. In that message, she let the parents know what the school and Lexington District Two was doing to assist everyone involved or touched by this with the grieving process.
In a portion of her message, Vrana wrote about the way the community grieves a loss of this magnitude. She wrote, “Our goal here at Springdale is to listen and to reassure our students and to keep the school day as normal as we possibly can during this difficult time. We will have extra district and school counselors on hand in coming days, talking with students, teachers, and staff. They will be available to meet one-on-one with your child should the need arise.”
The school also sent home some general tips about how parents can talk with their child about the loss of Faye. Vrana also made it clear to parents that if they are worried about how their child is doing, they could contact the school for additional help. She concluded by writing, “We are here to support your students through this.”
Because the case of Faye Swetlik has attracted significant public interest from across the globe, Lexington District Two’s administration has decided to keep their Springdale campus closed to media in coming days. The presence of news crews across and around the campus would only distract the children and remind them of how different this time is. This could easily make the grieving process more difficult
In a statement from the District, a spokesperson said, “Given the potential safety hazards that increased traffic can create in and around the school, we have asked law enforcement officers from Cayce and Springdale to be at the Springdale campus in the morning and afternoon of Friday, Feb. 14, to help manage any needs.”
