Students at Robert D. Sloman Elementary School in Douglas are grieving after losing a classmate in an ATV accident earlier this month.
Julie Cordell, principal of Sloman Elementary School, said teachers, staff, counselors and social workers are coming together to help students cope with the death of Hanna Grace Hogeland.
The youngster was a passenger in a Polaris all-terrain vehicle which left the road and overturned on April 5 at around 7:30 p.m.
Patricia D. Johnson, 28, of Boaz, was the ATV driver. She was injured and transported by medical helicopter to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Hogeland was pronounced dead at the scene.
The accident happened on Brock Road, near Miller Road, five miles west of Boaz, Marshall County.
“Sloman Elementary School has suffered a great loss,” Cordell said. “Hanna was a bright and beloved student on our campus and she will miss the faculty, staff and her peers dearly.
“The school has made additional counseling and social worker support available to students and faculty as we navigate this difficult time.”
For many children, Hanna’s death was the first they encountered. Counselors from throughout the Marshall County school system were dispatched to the school in the days immediately following the accident.
Since then, teachers and administrators have been watching students closely and trying to help those who may still be grieving.
“Her classmates held a private memorial ceremony for Hanna,” Cordell said. “Students also drew pictures illustrating special memories that held a place in their hearts of their time with Hanna. Our school has reached out to her family to support them as well and still wants them to always feel like a part of Hanna’s school community.
Among the photos, there is one that marked Cordell. In it, a classmate drew a tooth, complete with a skirt and a pair of golden wings.
Cordell said Hanna chewed on a sequin on her outfit one day and the sequin got stuck in her teeth, necessitating a trip to the dentist.
“All of the images have a story of one kind or another associated with it,” she said.
Classmate Ivan constructed a pink flower with a yellow center and a variegated stem of pom poms. In his card he wrote: “You will always be my best friend.
Other children drew angels, a young girl in a meadow releasing blue balloons and cards covered in multicolored hearts.
“Students are doing as well as they can in a situation like this,” Cordell said.
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