Lake Park faculty and students honor Brittany Kerfoot

ALBANY — The Lake Park Elementary School family received some closure Thursday when a tree was planted in the school’s garden in memory of second grade teacher Brittany Kerfoot, who was tragically killed in a plane crash less than a month ago at Southwest Georgia Regional Airport.

That sentiment was at the heart of a ceremony at Lake Park Elementary School Thursday where second grade teachers, students and faculty came together to honor the memory of fellow second grade teacher Brittany Kerfoot, who was one of three area residents killed in a plane crash at the Southwest Georgia Regional Airport less than a month ago.

The ceremony, which was organized by Kerfoot’s colleagues, centered around the dedication of a Little Gem Magnolia tree donated by Oak Pond Nursery and planted in the school’s garden by Jim Houldridge, and a commemorative plaque donated by Matthews Funeral Home.

“We just wanted to come together as a school family to celebrate and remember Ms. Kerfoot,” said Kerfoot’s fellow teachers Tay McEwen, Janna Fretwell and Annette Pinkston in a prepared statement. “She had such a big impact on her students and everyone she worked with. This was just a small way to honor that. And to keep a little piece of her here with us.”

Also in attendance at the tree dedication were Kerfoot’s sister, Natasha Golden, and her mother, Sherry Way, both of whom accepted a framed picture signed by Kerfoot’s students and a memory book containing messages from the entire second grade.

The Lake Park faculty and students at the ceremony also wore light blue t-shirts featuring the words “be stronger, braver, kinder,” what had become Kerfoot’s words to live by, according to her peers.

In commemorating the tree, McEwen, who had served as Kerfoot’s mentor, read a quote from Maya Angelou, explaining the impact Kerfoot had on her students, her fellow teachers, and the entire Lake Park family.

“I came across this quote from Maya Angelou,’” McEwen read. “‘I have learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’ Brittany had an amazing connection with her students. She made them feel important. She made them feel special. And she made them feel loved. For the short time that she was with us she left a lasting impression on so many little hearts. And for that we are grateful that she was a part of our Lake Park family.

“Ms. Kerfoot’s spirit, her energy, her enthusiasm and how she made people feel, will be greatly missed, but we will never forget that about her. We’re proud to dedicate this tree today to Ms. Brittany Kerfoot. Though her time with us was brief, her spirit is forever rooted in our hearts and this will remind us all to be strong, braver, and kinder.”

After those remarks the students in Kerfoot’s class released into the air blue balloons, that featured messages the children wanted to send to her.

“She touched so many lives,” said Lake Park Elementary School Principal Kenosha Coleman. “She had a great impact on the staff here as well as her students. It’s always difficult to lose a staff member, but today we’re hoping that this could be a day that we could just remember her and be joyful and rejoice and keep her spirit alive.”

Although the loss of her sister is painful, Golden said the love and support she has received from the teachers and students at Lake Park has been important to her and has helped ease her pain.

“They have been excellent,” said Golden. “Mrs. Coleman has been wonderful keeping in contact with me and letting me come up here if I needed to. Lake Park really has been awesome.”

Golden also said it was a thrill for her to see what kind of influence her sister had on her co-workers and her students.

“It’s incredible to see the impact that she had,” Golden said. “I’ve always known she was a good teacher, but I didn’t realize how many lives she impacted.”

Thursday’s ceremony also had a positive impact on Kerfoot’s students, who were finally given some measure of closure, and their parents, who have had the difficult task of talking to their children about loss in the wake of Kerfoot’s death.

“This is just a beautiful way to remember her,” said Ashley Hutchins, whose son David was in Kerfoot’s class. “It’s good that the kids can have closure and yet also remember her each time they come out here (to the garden). And now they can also carry her memory with them.”