On January 11, 2013, the Aeolian School Community came together in a showing of solidarity to honor the memory of Damian and Nathan Medina, two Los Nietos School District students who tragically passed away in a car accident on December 21, 2012. Since the passing of the Medina brothers on December 21st, the Los Nietos School District Community has been in mourning as Los Nietos staff and residents have felt intense sorrow for Marisol and Valentin Medina’s loss of their only children. In order to appropriately handle the emotional needs of Aeolian School and Los Nietos Middle School where both fifth grade Damian and eighth grade Nathan attended, school officials had over 15 counselors between the two schools to speak with students, parents, and staff in need of counseling support on January 8, 2013, which was the first day of school after the Winter break. The counseling support proved beneficial as both students and staff at Aeolian and Los Nietos Middle School needed to talk about their feelings concerning the accident
At the January 11th afternoon assembly Aeolian Principal Becky Speh held a moving tribute to Damian’s life with all Aeolian students attending. Damian’s fifth grade classmates wrote notes to Damian and attached them to purple balloons, a favorite color of the boys. Principal Speh read a particularly touching note written by Kimberly Garcia, Adreana Alonso, and Julisa Chavez. The joint note which was meant to represent Aeolian’s Fifth Grade Class of 2014, read as follows:
Damian,
Everybody misses you very much. We are very saddened to hear this terrible news. Yet, we still do not believe that you will not be here with us anymore, but I am here to say thank you. Thank you for everything you have done. We all are grateful for everything that you did for us. We all just want to tell you that we will always remember you and will always have you in our hearts. Please give your mother and father strength to go on and give us strength and watch over us. We thank you for being here with us. Thank you for sharing all of your moments here with all of your friends. We thank you for standing out. We thank you for existing in our lives. Everybody misses you and we always will. Remember us and watch over us the time we are here. Damian it’s really hard to say goodbye to you. Nobody ever expected this to happen to you and your brother. We all will miss you very much. Thank you for being such a great friend, son, brother, and student.
Thank you.
After reading the student’s note, Principal Speh led the school in a moment of silence and a school countdown before the balloons were released. Students, staff, and parents surrounded the Medina family afterwards to give them hugs of support. Additionally Superintendent Vasquez, Principal’s Speh, Perez, and Cardenas met with the Medina Family to express the condolences of the Los Nietos District as well as share that the Los Nietos Community at all four schools had approached Superintendent Vasquez to see if something could be coordinated district-wide to help the family. The parents were appreciative of the school district’s offer of assistance as the cost of funeral services for their two children had been a huge and unexpected expense that they were still trying to recover from in addition to recovering from the loss of their two children.
Several fundraising activities for the Medina Family are being planned but the primary District coordinated event will be a Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser scheduled for February 2nd from 8:00-11:30 a.m. at the Los Nietos Middle School. Additionally gift baskets will be raffled with all proceeds of the event going to the Medina family.
Anyone who would like to make gift basket or monetary donations to go to the family can contact the Los Nietos School District Office to receive further information (562) 692-0271 X3212.
To see a video of the Aeolian balloon release assembly held on January 11, 2013, please click on the link below.
At the January 11th afternoon assembly Aeolian Principal Becky Speh held a moving tribute to Damian’s life with all Aeolian students attending. Damian’s fifth grade classmates wrote notes to Damian and attached them to purple balloons, a favorite color of the boys. Principal Speh read a particularly touching note written by Kimberly Garcia, Adreana Alonso, and Julisa Chavez. The joint note which was meant to represent Aeolian’s Fifth Grade Class of 2014, read as follows:
Damian,
Everybody misses you very much. We are very saddened to hear this terrible news. Yet, we still do not believe that you will not be here with us anymore, but I am here to say thank you. Thank you for everything you have done. We all are grateful for everything that you did for us. We all just want to tell you that we will always remember you and will always have you in our hearts. Please give your mother and father strength to go on and give us strength and watch over us. We thank you for being here with us. Thank you for sharing all of your moments here with all of your friends. We thank you for standing out. We thank you for existing in our lives. Everybody misses you and we always will. Remember us and watch over us the time we are here. Damian it’s really hard to say goodbye to you. Nobody ever expected this to happen to you and your brother. We all will miss you very much. Thank you for being such a great friend, son, brother, and student.
Thank you.
After reading the student’s note, Principal Speh led the school in a moment of silence and a school countdown before the balloons were released. Students, staff, and parents surrounded the Medina family afterwards to give them hugs of support. Additionally Superintendent Vasquez, Principal’s Speh, Perez, and Cardenas met with the Medina Family to express the condolences of the Los Nietos District as well as share that the Los Nietos Community at all four schools had approached Superintendent Vasquez to see if something could be coordinated district-wide to help the family. The parents were appreciative of the school district’s offer of assistance as the cost of funeral services for their two children had been a huge and unexpected expense that they were still trying to recover from in addition to recovering from the loss of their two children.
Several fundraising activities for the Medina Family are being planned but the primary District coordinated event will be a Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser scheduled for February 2nd from 8:00-11:30 a.m. at the Los Nietos Middle School. Additionally gift baskets will be raffled with all proceeds of the event going to the Medina family.
Anyone who would like to make gift basket or monetary donations to go to the family can contact the Los Nietos School District Office to receive further information (562) 692-0271 X3212.
To see a video of the Aeolian balloon release assembly held on January 11, 2013, please click on the link below.