PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Around noon on August 5th, a 17- year old Portsmouth High school student was talking along High Street when someone in a Black sedan opened fire and killed her. Later, her distraught boyfriend reportedly went to the crime scene and took his life.
Tamara Shewmake, a member of the Portsmouth School Board used that double tragedy and another unrelated suicide as the impetus for a school-based initiative to reach out to children, adults, and even educators who are crying or for help during this deadly pandemic.
” We had one too many suicides to happen so we needed to find a way to be a resource for those we serve within our community,” said Shewmake.
Shewmake wears at least three hats. She serves on the School Board, works on the administrative team for the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office, and is the mother of three children in Portsmouth Public Schools.
(Photo: Regina Mobley)
After collaborating with Board colleagues and the administration, the school system this week launched Here to Help. The web page on the school system’s website is an all-hands effort to reach out to children, their parents, and even educators who are crying out for help during the pandemic.
Superintent Dr. Elie Bracy III says while classrooms remain virtual the program offers virtual and real programs to address the mental health needs of the entire school community.
” That’s why we came up with this campaign. We decided this time to make a greater emphasis on it; to put the word out and to do a video so we can post it on social media.
The web page will assist the boots-on-the-ground-educators who go door-to-door to find children who have logged out and dropped out of virtual schools.
” If we have students who are not signing on or logging into their lessons, we are sending out our attendance liaisons to find out what going on. We do a physical visit to their homes to find out where they are to make sure everybody is ok,” said Dr. Bracey.
Over the past year, veteran counselor Shaunielle Perry-Wallace is working virtually with elementary students who, typically, would ask about the three R’s. Today they are asking tough questions about death.
” Some have lost family members; they have shared they have lost family members due to covid. They are asking: what if I catch covid; what’s going to happen,” said Perry-Wallace.
Perry-Wallace says the children are also in mourning of the loss of that personal contact that can’t be duplicated in a Zoom classroom.
“Definitely being at school the different routines even though there is a system a routine for virtual learning its different from actually being in the classroom,” said Perry-Wallace.
With Here to Help up and running administrators and board members are looking into whether Saturday school or some form of year-round school will be required to help students catch up.
“We have to figure out a way to assist those students who may not have received the best education possible during this virtual environment,” said Shewmake.
The August 5, 2020 death of the 17-year-old high school girl, identified as La’Myricle Lee, remains a mystery. Police ask that anyone with information on the case contact the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.
