October 23, 2019
Dear OA School Community,
It is with great sadness that I write this letter to inform you about the unimaginable loss that one of our Owego Apalachin families has suffered. As a result of an automobile accident on the evening of October 20, 2019, two of our students, Zachary Allen, a second grader at Owego Elementary School, and his sister Trinity Allen, a sixth grader at Owego Apalachin Middle School, have passed away.
On behalf of the Owego Apalachin Central School District, we would like to express our most sincere condolences to the family and those closely affected by this terrible accident. When our school community experiences a tragedy, especially the loss of young lives, it impacts all of us. We encourage parents and guardians to talk to their children about this tragic event. Discussing the thoughts and feelings your child is experiencing is important in helping him or her work through their grief.
As previously communicated to our school community, the district’s crisis intervention team as well as the UHS Mobile Crisis unit were made available on Monday and will continue to be available throughout this week, and next, to support our students and staff. We will continue to assess the need for additional emotional support moving forward. If you feel that your child or family is in need of assistance, please contact us, and we will do everything we can to help you.
Some additional resources that we have available:
- OA School Counselors, 687-7301 option 4
- Center for Psychological Services, 785-4156
- Tioga County Mental Health, 687-4000
- Oakdale Associates, 754-1101
- Family & Children’s Society, 687-3540
- Southern Tier Counseling Solutions, 222-5639
We ask that you join us in keeping the friends and family of Zachary and Trinity in your thoughts and continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time.
Corey Green, Superintendent
Owego Apalachin School District
