PUSD families received a notice from the district on Saturday afternoon informing them of the death of Havens Elementary School 4th grade teacher Katie Jepsen that morning. Although school officials were aware she had been ill, her sudden passing came as a surprise.
An excerpt from the email Superintendent Randy Booker sent follows. The full email outlines steps the school community is taking to console and counsel affected families and staff.
“It’s with great sadness that I am writing to share with you that Katie Jepsen, 4th grade teacher at Havens, died early this morning.
We were aware that Katie was ill; however, she chose to keep the degree to which she was ill private. The news of Katie’s death came as a surprise. The fact that she started the year, taught Havens’ students, and got to know them so well in just a few short weeks is a testament to her commitment and love of teaching and learning.
The Havens staff is grieving, and we will be processing Ms. Jepsen’s death in the months to come. Her leadership, quiet strength, and high expectations are a loss not only for our children, but the whole community. We ask that you provide the staff and our counseling team with room to work with students and families as we enter into this week.”
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Katie Jepsen was a wonderful teacher to both of my children and I’m grateful that she was a positive influence and guidance within their lives. My sincere condolences to her family, friends, colleagues and past and present students.
May her memory be a blessing to all who knew her.