2 Boys Die In Grosse Pointe House Fire

GROSSE POINTE, MI — Two young boys were killed in a house fire in Grosse Pointe Monday morning, according to reports.

The fire happened at a home on Fisher Road between Kercheval and Mack avenues, according to police. The boys were in fourth and fifth grade at Richard Elementary School in Grosse Pointe Farms.

The kids were reportedly in the home because the school had a delayed start.

RELATED: Read about how Grosse Pointe is remembering the boys

The principal sent out this letter to families:

Dear Richard families,

As I shared with you earlier, two of our Richard students, a 4th grader and a 5th grader pair of siblings died in a house fire this morning. At this time the fire department has still not released the names of the students. As a community, our hearts are broken. Many parents have already reached out to see what they can do to help. Once we know more, we will share what immediate needs the family has so we can support them.

I know that none of us wants to share this information with our children. However, it is best that they hear about this tragedy from their guardians/parents. I am asking that you consider informing your child(ren) today, after school on Monday, that two Richard siblings (a 4th grader and a 5th grader) died in a house fire. I realize that for some of our youngest children, providing information regarding this tragedy may not be appropriate. Please recognize that in the coming days your child may directly or indirectly hear questions or comments about this tragedy from classmates at school.
I have been working closely with both central office administrators and our mental health professionals to ensure that we have the necessary supports in place at Richard. On Tuesday, we will be meeting with the 4th and 5th grade classes to inform them of what happened and to answer questions they may have. Our mental health team will have activities in place and a unified approach to support students through this. We will maintain the support teams at Richard for as long as needed.

Tuesday is going to be a hard day at Richard. One of the best ways we can help our children is to maintain daily routines, while supporting their grieving process. I would encourage you to follow your normal routine at home as well. If you notice that your child(ren), or any others, need additional support, please inform the teacher or any mental health staff.

During the course of the week Richard staff will be working with our parent and community leadership to determine how we can best remember this outstanding family. I will keep you updated as these plans develop. At this time I am asking for the mental health of our Richard students that no physical memorial be created at Richard (i.e. a wall of stuffed animals or a flower memorial). We will find the right time and place to remember this family, but an impromptu memorial is not the best thing for our kids at this time.

I know that at these times we can feel helpless. The most important thing that you can do today is to love your kids. Give them a hug and let them know you are there for them. Below are some resources that may be helpful for you and your family.

• Recovering After a Home Fire: (scroll down to the For Children section)
• National Association for School Psychologists Helping Children After a Natural Disaster (particularly the action points for Parents and Teachers)
• GPPSS Mental Health website

Our mental health support team will be in the building the next few days to help support all students. If you feel your child needs individualized attention, please let us know so we can best support them. Should you have questions please contact the main office at 313-432-4903 or kernanj@gpschools.org.

Many parents have also asked about what the rest of the week will look like. We know that the next few days may look a little different but we will try and maintain the school routines as best we can. This gives students a sense of normalcy and reassurance. Thursday is Halloween. We are planning on keeping to our Halloween day plans.

Principal John Kernan