An Aspira Olney HS student died of COVID-19. Teachers say the school needs better health safeguards.
“Individual classmates gravitated toward her because she had such a loving heart," Olney Charter teacher Latanya Dunaway-Clement said of Alayna Thach, 17, who died this week of COVID-19.
After a 17-year-old Philadelphia high school student died of COVID-19, Olney Charter High School is in mourning — and staff and some students are calling for stricter virus protocols at the school.
Alayna Thach was a senior, visiting colleges, earning honor-roll grades, and planning her future — she wanted to be a life coach. She died Monday and was tearfully remembered as a force for good, an advocate for her peers, a model student.
Staff and students gathered on the steps of the school Friday afternoon to remember Thach and to demand increased mitigation at the school. The staffers also want the last days of school before winter break to be conducted virtually.
» READ MORE: Alayna Thach’s family speaks about COVID-19 death of 17-year-old: ‘How is this possible?’
Teachers asked ASPIRA of Pennsylvania, which runs the school, for a host of changes, from consequences for those who do not wear masks or wear them properly to more support for the school’s nurse.
Lunches are particularly problematic, said Sarah Kenney, an Olney Charter teacher and head of the school’s union. Students are not socially distanced in the cafeteria and have no assigned seats, making contact tracing difficult.
“There isn’t really a good protocol for how it all works,” Kenney said. “We think it’s safest to be virtual until they can come up with a plan for increased safety, just to ensure that something like this never happens again at our school.”
Kailah White, a sophomore at Olney, said Thach’s death sobered students at the school. According to a GoFundMe page organized to help Thach’s family pay for funeral expenses, Thach became ill about a week before her death, then developed pneumonia. She was not vaccinated but had an appointment to get a shot in January.
“I believe that we should go virtual because children are dying all over the nation,” said White. “We need to change things.”
James Thompson, Olney principal, said in a statement that the school has instituted a number of safety procedures, including testing of asymptomatic students beginning Dec. 1. (The school tests 10% of students whose parents consent to testing, Thompson said. Staff testing will begin in January.)
“As educators, we understand the importance of providing consistent in-person education to our students when it is safe to do so,” Thompson said. “We count on a team to be team players to ensure the best possible learning environment for the students we serve.”
La’Shante Cox, who taught Thach performing arts, said Thach advocated for causes she supported.
“Alayna was the type of student who would be — with us — right now, writing petitions and speaking out on how to keep our community safe,” said Cox, known as “Miss Shay” to her students.
Cox read from an essay Thach wrote about her time learning remotely during COVID-19: It was tough, but there were bright spots — she learned to cook, helped classmates with their work, kept her grades up, donated to causes she cared about. “So many good things can happen, but people only focus on the bad,” Thach wrote. “I wanted to focus on the good.”
Alayna’s death shocked her senior seminar teacher, Latanya Dunaway-Clement.
Alayna had just given her earrings, Clement said: four pairs of small studs, not for the holidays, but because she wanted to show appreciation for her teacher. She also made her two paintings.
”She was a very sweet young lady,” Clement said. “She was loved by everyone. This is so hard for all of us to be going through this at this moment.”
Alayna had recently visited West Chester and Lincoln Universities and was in the process of exploring others, Clement said.
“Individual classmates gravitated toward her because she had such a loving heart. She was always there for all her classmates. She always had a smile on her face,” said Clement.