Sad News

Today was my first day back to school after the winter break. I was greeted with the terrible news that two of my students lost parents and a sister in Mecca during the hajj when there was a stampede that killed 362 people. I read about the stampede on the news a couple days ago, and my first thought was, I hope it's no-one I know, since many of my students are Muslim and all Muslims must do the pilgrimage to Mecca once in their lifetime... but what were the odds when there are 3 million there?

Both are 11th graders, and both in my classes. Both moved here with their families this year from Egypt and both were having a hard time adjusting and making friends. So I particularly became a friend to Aya and I can say that she is one of the closest and dearest students to me and it's mutual. Her mother and 9-year-old sister were crushed to death, with both Aya and her 11-year-old sister there. I can't imagine the terror and horror of watching your mother & sister die and not being able to do anything. Omar is the sweetest kid, small for his age, serious English language problems and really struggling in school. So another teacher, counselor and I have been trying desperately to figure out a way to help him. He lost both his parents in the stampede. He was there but managed to climb over a wall to get away from the crowd, but lost his parents. He called and called his dad on the cell phone with no response, and finally went to the airport and flew home, hoping they would call him there. He learned this morning that they both died when friends at the school text-messaged him about it. What a terrible way to find out, although he probably suspected since he knew about the stampede and deaths. It's heartbreaking. I have met all these parents at parent-teacher conferences, as well as running into them (and, strangely, only these parents) at stores around town.

For those of you who are teachers, you will understand how terrible this is for me. Your students become like your children. If you haven't read the news story, here is link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/13/international/middleeast/13cnd-saudi.html - news report