The field trip of a sixth grader from Notre-Dame-du-Rosaire School in Sherbrooke was cut short earlier today when students discovered a lifeless body in the woods of Mont Bellevue.
The activity was suspended and the youths were taken back to their school.
“We are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the event, but at this time there is nothing to indicate any criminal activity,” said Sherbrooke Police Service (SPS) spokesman Martin Carrier.
The students are taken care of by local agents and the school board, he adds.
In the hours after the incident, the school tried to reassure the parents.
“Despite these unfortunate circumstances, the day was still peaceful for most of the school’s students,” principal Brigitte Leclerc wrote in an email, copied to Le Journal.
“A team of specialized staff came to support the teaching staff and to support the students of the affected group in their return to school,” she adds.
The leadership of Notre-Dame-du-Rosaire also advises to “remain alert and attentive to the words” that the children may have today and in the days to come.
They are also asked to contact the school psychologist if necessary. “We remind you that the speakers will be available at the school tomorrow and over the next few days,” the letter reads.
However, this email from the Sherbrooke establishment came a little late, according to some.
“Let’s say I would have preferred to find out before it became public,” said the mother of a first grader, who learned about the incident in an article in the local newspaper.
At the time of writing, neither the school nor the Center de services scolaire de la Région-de-Sherbrooke had responded to requests from the Journal.
More details to come…