Kindergarten student at Cannon Road Elementary dies after COVID-19 hospitalization

Principal and district gathering resources for staff, support for child’s family

January 26, 2024 3:48 p.m.

A girl who attended Cannon Road Elementary School in Silver Spring died Sunday after being hospitalized for COVID-19, according to a letter from school Principal Kristine Donohue.

“We are grieving this horrific loss,” Donohue wrote to families of Cannon Road’s autism services program. “I ask that you keep [her] family and our staff in your prayers and thoughts during this difficult time.”

According to the letter, the student was a kindergartener and part of the school’s special education program. She was admitted to the hospital last week for COVID and then was readmitted and died Sunday, according to the letter.

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“This is a tremendous loss for the student’s family and for the school family at [Cannon Road] Elementary,” MCPS spokesperson Chris Cram wrote in a statement. “We offer deepest condolences to the student’s loved ones during this time.”

As the school community mourns the loss of a student, Donohue wrote that the school would work with the school district to get resources for staff and would work with the family to see how the community can support them.

Cram added: “As we know, this can be difficult news for our students and staff to process because as [a] school community, tight bonds develop. Counseling services have been and will be available for anyone who needs support.”

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