A Farmland Elementary school fifth-grader died Monday after falling ill at school, Montgomery County Public Schools officials confirm.
The student reportedly got ill inside the classroom and the school nurse was called. The school nurse determined 911 needed to be called. The school was placed into "shelter in place" mode while first responders tried to help the child.
The child was taken to an area hospital where they were pronounced dead.
7News asked officials if the death was COVID-19 related and the spokesman said they couldn't confirm that.
In a email statement to 7News, a spokesperson said: "There isn’t a public health threat for any other students. This student had an individual medical emergency."
The school principal sent out the following note to parents and the community:
Good evening, Farmland families:
As a follow-up to my earlier communication, where I shared an onsite emergency, resulting in having emergency personnel on-site, it is with sadness that I inform you of the sudden death of one of our 5th-grade students.
As a school community, we are working to balance offering respect and support to his family at this sad time.
While we have not shared this loss with any of our students, our school psychologist and counselors along with the district-level staff were onsite and available to support our students who were present when the medical emergency occurred. We will continue to have qualified staff onsite to support students and staff as we deal with this loss in the days ahead.
It is very difficult for all of us to face the death of a young person. Your child may be coming home with questions and worries about this loss. Should you desire to discuss this loss with your child at home, we have enclosed some suggestions that may prove helpful to you as you discuss death.
I know you join me in extending heartfelt sympathy to this family and the Farmland family during this time. When we receive information regarding funeral arrangements, I will share the information with you. Your support during this challenging time for our school community is appreciated.
Sincerely,
April
April D Longest
Principal
Farmland ES
The school is located at 7000 Old Gate Road in Rockville.