Dear Didion families,

As many of you know, last year we suffered a tremendous loss as a school family with the tragic passing of one of our third graders, Olivia Chan. Olivia was an amazing little girl and a sweet and kind friend to so many students. 

This Thursday the 17 th students will find a new memorial buddy bench in honor of Olivia’s kindness and friendship on campus. We will do a small unveiling ceremony Thursday morning with our 4th graders and Olivia’s family, and the bench will be available for student use starting later that day. The bench is the byproduct of the generosity and support of our community and the PTA. This buddy bench will be a part of Olivia’s lasting legacy at Didion, and be a place where students can always find friendship and kindness like she so graciously shared with everyone around her. Our students will be instructed that whenever they are in need of a friend, or are feeling lonely, they can sit on the bench; and they can also look to the bench to find students in need to offer their kindness and friendship.

I realize that seeing our new buddy bench may elicit a wide range of feelings or questions from your children. We have arranged for our school social worker, Mr. David Aleman, and our school psychologist, Mrs. Sara Miller, to be on campus on Thursday to provide any additional support that students may need. I also encourage you to talk with your child about the bench and to answer any questions that they may have. 

As always, thank you for your support. 

Sincerely,

Mr. Eder