Letter to School Community from Superintendent Paul Stein:

To the Wayland Community:

With great sadness, I’m writing to report to you that Megan Duffy, a graduate of Wayland High School’s Class of 2011, died yesterday. I’m told that Megan was someone who could light up a room when she entered. She had a sharp mind, and was known to be caring, kind, creative, artistic, and wonderful with children. She faced life’s challenges with grace and resilience.

Although over two years have passed since Megan graduated, this news will undoubtedly set off a wave of emotions — especially to those families, staff members and students who knew Megan. It is even more poignant given that this is not the first tragic loss of a classmate faced by the Class of 2011. I write you now, first to call on our strength as a community to rally when difficult news comes our way. Second, I want to acknowledge that for all of us, but for our children in particular, the death of someone so young and vibrant can have varied impact — ranging from fear and worry to no emotion at all. Often it can trigger memories of other losses or vulnerabilities. There are resources available for parents regarding death and loss toward which we can surely direct you. Don’t hesitate to give us a call; our counselors are particularly ready to offer their assistance, as is the staff at Wayland’s Youth and Family Services.

In Wayland, it may at present feel that troubling news has unfairly knocked at our door too, too many times. We nonetheless want to assure our children that they (and those who care for them) are safe. We want them to understand that death at a young age is still very, very rare — which is partly why we react with such dismay. We want to model for them how, during times like these, we come together as a community, and we want to collectively send our heartfelt sympathy to Megan’s family and friends.