School grieves loss of much-loved teacher

by Marty Green
  

Barbara Ann Gould (center) shares a laugh with HES Principal Linda Dwight and Superintendent Joe Connelly on the first day of school last August. (File photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)

Late Sunday afternoon, Hildreth Elementary School Principal Linda Dwight informed families in the school system that longtime kindergarten teacher Barbara Ann Gould had died suddenly the evening before. Dwight asked parents to share the sad news with children “in the safety of their own homes.”  Gould drowned accidentally in her family’s hot tub on Saturday, according to the message on the ConnectEd telephone notification.

Barbara Ann Gould (Courtesy photo)

In a subsequent email, Dwight gave parents several resources to help with the”difficult conversations” they would be having with their children “about the passing of our beloved kindergarten teacher.” She also said that grief counselors would be on hand to talk with students, family members, faculty, and staff at the school cafeteria Monday morning. Dwight said that Hildreth Elementary would follow its regular schedule, as that will help students to feel secure.