By Sara Ballenger and Bruce Barton

Town Crier Staff Writers

For the second time in three months, students at Los Altos High school are struggling to deal with the suicide of a classmate. Cory Redington, a 14-year-old freshman, took his life at his home in Los Altos Hills on May 31.

“The death of a student impacts the whole campus,” said Principal George Perez.

Administrators and counselors went to classrooms during second period on May 31 to tell students what had happened. Students were also sent home with a note to parents about the incident.

“We had counselors go to classrooms where the young man’s classes were,” Perez said.

A grief center was also set up in room 207.

“We gave out a sheet to the kids on stages of grief and loss,” said Pat Fleck, a grief counselor who was on campus. “I think the kids were receptive to counseling help, and to talking about it.”

“The school suddenly becomes a very tight community,” said Hinda Weber, a director of school-based case development.

Students passed out ribbons of the school’s colors to wear in memory of Redington. Students also signed cards and sent their condolences to the family.

“It’s a traumatic loss,” said father Dana Redington last Friday. Dana and mother Lynn described Cory as a young man who was well liked and made friends easily. They described him as bright, generous, kind and perceptive.

He enjoyed the martial art of aikido and was an active member of Aikido West. Other interests included computers, tennis and snowboarding.

The family moved to Los Altos Hills from Colorado a year and a half ago. Cory made the B honor roll at Egan Intermediate School last year. His parents said Cory was a “clean living kid” but added that “school was not a priority” for him at Los Altos High.

The warning signs of suicide were apparent. Students, counselors and his parents all tried to help.

“Students took this seriously and tried to talk him out of it,” Weber said.

“He led everyone to believe he was getting better,” Lynn said. “Unfortunately, he kept a lot of things to himself.”

Friends are feeling the loss, too.

“A lot of them are going between anger and depression,” Fleck said of Redington’s friends and classmates. “It’s a normal feeling for immediate grief. We want them to know they aren’t going crazy.”

Los Altos High School administration and staff are working to develop some parent/child education on dealing with suicide grief.

“It’s not something our students or our society handles very well,” Perez said. “We want the students to know this is not a solution to a problem.”

Students had already been dealing with the suicide of another student, senior Taylor Sheehan, who had taken his life Feb. 20. The week back from winter break, the school also received tragic news that two former students died.

Cory is survived by his parents, Dana and Lynn, brother, Kyle, and grandparents, Jane Redington, and James and Nanette Stelling. A memorial service was held Monday at the Los Altos Chapel of Spangler Mortuaries in Los Altos.