A Tragedy for Shore
‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; …‘
John 11:25
Dear Students, Parents and Carers
Last evening, Leon Li of Year 11 passed away after what appears to have been an anaphylactic reaction. I have the sad responsibility of conveying to you the basic details. Senior Staff have assisted his parents this morning to try and support them in their terrible loss. Staff were briefed early this morning, followed by a special assembly of all Senior School students. We have made special arrangements for students deeply affected to be able to go to the Chapel to sit quietly, to reflect, to discuss in small groups and to receive pastoral support from one of our School Counsellors (Psychologists and Social Workers) and our Chaplain. Staff deeply affected by the loss of Leon have had a similar opportunity with our Counselling staff and our Community Chaplain. Other local schools with which we regularly partner have kindly offered additional Counsellors today to assist our community.
The loss of Leon affects a great many of our students and staff as Leon was very active in so many aspects of Shore. He was a fine musician, featuring in a number of our bands, an enthusiastic member of drama ensembles, an active Shore sportsman, a member of our Shore Cadet Unit and a diligent student. The tragedy is of such a promising and fine young man losing his life at such an early age. Death at such a young age is always incomprehensible. Often, teenagers have no prior experience of losing someone to whom they were close. Today we have seen the quality of our Shore boys as they have mourned Leon and comforted one another.
Leon was confirmed in his faith last year by the Anglican Bishop of North Sydney, the Right Rev Chris Edwards. In this respect, Jesus’ words are a great comfort: ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;…’ (John 11:25).
Members of Gillespie House, Year 11 as a whole and members of one of our sporting teams in which Leon featured are being carefully monitored and encouraged, particularly, to draw on the Pastoral Care the School is providing. We are very conscious that our boys will bear the effects of this terrible news as they go into a four-day break over Easter. Should parents feel their sons need some additional help over these four days or the April holiday period, it may be found from community resources – see details below.
- The Mental Health Access Line is available on 1800 011 511 for advice and support and can help you triage a situation to determine whether hospital or another support is necessary.
- Kids Helpline is a free counselling service available to young people 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They can be contacted via 1800 55 1800 or on their website: kidshelpline.com.au. They also have a web chat function so young people can chat to a counsellor through online messaging.
- Your GP is a great first port of call and can provide some initial mental health screening if a concern arises. Your GP can also make a referral to a private Psychologist if needed.
- Headspace, located in Chatswood and Brookvale, provide bulk-billed counselling and support to young people aged 12-25 years. You can find out more on their website: headspace.org.au.
- KYDS, located in Lindfield and Kirribilli, provide a counselling service for young people which is free. You can find out more here: www.kyds.org.au
- Parentline is a free phone or email counselling service available to parents if you need some help or support, or just want to talk through a parenting issue. You can reach them on 1300 1300 52 or www.parentline.org.au
Some youth-focused services also provide some helpful information online about dealing with grief and loss:
When School resumes next Tuesday, our Pastoral Care will continue as we help our boys come to terms with their bereavement.
Dr John Collier
Headmaster
