Lehman High student dies early Sunday

Staff report

The Lehman High community is mourning the loss of a student who died early Sunday morning.

Lehman High principal Michelle Chae informed parents in a letter of the passing of Kaleb Rivera, who was a junior at the school.

Rivera was pronounced dead at his home in the Champions Crossing apartments in San Marcos by Hays County Precinct No. 2 Justice of the Peace Judge Beth Smith at 1:15 a.m. Sunday.

Information on how Rivera died is pending an investigation, Smith said. The San Marcos Police Department is investigating the death. Smith has ordered an autopsy to be conducted.

In her letter, Chae said the Lehman High counseling team will be on hand to support students on Tuesday. The school will also call additional support teams from Hays CISD as needed.

“Students will be allowed to visit our counseling center to receive support while at school,” Chae said in her letter.

Below is the letter Chae sent to Lehman parents on Sunday along with local grief counseling options Chae submitted to parents:

May 29, 2016

Dear Lehman Families:

It is with great sadness that I inform you of the death of eleventh grade student, Kaleb Rivera. He passed away early Sunday morning.

We at Lehman High School are concerned with our students’ reaction to this sad event. In order to help them adjust to the loss, our Lehman counseling team will be on hand to support our students. We will call in additional support teams from Hays CISD as needed. Students will be allowed to visit our counseling center to receive support while at school.

It would not be unusual for your child to express himself or herself differently during the next few weeks. Such an incident can have a profound effect on a student. Anytime death touches us it is extremely stressful. This death may be disturbing to you as well as to your child. For this reason, we especially want you to know of our caring and support.

I am attaching two resources for your reference. One provides you as the parent/guardian some guidelines in supporting your child. The second reference is a listing of local grief counseling options. If you should need to talk with one of our team members, please be patient as they are responding to students. If it is an emergency, clearly indicate this to the receptionist so your call can be given priority.

Please be assured that assisting your child through this difficult period is our main concern. Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Michelle Chae

Principal

Grief Counseling Options in Hays County , Austin, and San Marcos

CTMC (Central Texas Medical Center) Family Grief Center

Bereavement, Grief Counseling, and Support Services

1315 IH-35 North

San Marcos, Texas 78666

(512) 754-6159

https://www.ctmc.org/care-services/hospice/family-grief-center

The Christi Center