Avonworth School District Mourns Loss Of "Special Young Lady"
OHIO TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- Classes begin as normal at Avonworth School District Monday morning, but it was anything but normal for students who lost one of their classmates in a devastating house fire over the weekend.
"No one really has answers for a situation like this. It's honestly about putting one foot in front of the other," Superintendent of Avonworth School District Dr. Thomas Ralston said.
Dr. Ralston has seen his fair share of heartbreak as superintendent of the district, but he says it never gets any easier.
Hannah Milbert, 15, lost her life in a fire Saturday night at her home in Ohio Township. Ralston remembers her as a special young lady.
"I saw her last week when the students came back from break and had a chance to have a quick little interaction in the hallway with her and a couple of friends and asked how break was," Dr. Ralston said.
KDKA's Amy Wadas Reports:
In light of this tragedy, the district did all it could to make sure the students in the tight-knit community were okay. An assembly was held for high school students before the start of class and grief counselors are on hand.
"We have plenty of safe places around the school to be accessible to students so they can go and talk, visit with friends, try to navigate the full range of emotions that come with something like this," Ralston said.
Milbert was an honors student and a creative writer. She also shined as a star soccer player and was an active member of the Girl Scouts for years.
"We've called together all of our Girl Scouts to come together, because they are all so heartbroken, they're all in shock. We're going to reflect on her life," Milbert's Girl Scout Troop Leader Suzanne Stewart said.
Two Go Fund Me pages have been set up to help Milbert's family. Visit them here: Helping The Milbert Family | Milberts Rebuild Fund
Grief counselors will be at the school as long as district officials deem necessary.
