The Chesapeake Life Center is offering a “Healing Our Community: Navigating Grief in the Aftermath of the DCA Tragedy” workshop for adults and children ages 6 and older. These workshops will be held at Hospice of the Chesapeake in Waldorf, Maryland, with adults and children meeting separately to discuss and process their losses, as well as learning about coping strategies and taking part in activities.
“I speak for all of us at FCPS as we offer our condolences to everyone involved in this heartbreaking tragedy,” says Dr. Michelle C. Reid, Frederick County Public Schools’ superintendent, in a statement. “It is a time to hold one another closer.”
Three Fairfax County Public Schools students and six parents were killed in the plane crash near Ronald Reagan National Airport on Wednesday, Jan. 29. The school did not release the names of the victims to the public out of respect for them and their families’ privacy.
The incident, in which PSA Airlines Flight 5342 collided with a Black Hawk military helicopter in mid-air and crashed into the Potomac River, was the deadliest air incident to occur on United States soil in 24 years. All 67 passengers onboard were killed, and all have been identified. Unified Command continues to work on removing victims’ remains and plane wreckage from the river.
Twenty-eight passengers were returning from the 2025 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships and the 2025 High Performance National Development Camp for skaters ages 9 to 17, both in Wichita, Kansas. Several victims were confirmed to be members of the Skating Club of Northern Virginia and the Washington Figure Skating Club. It is unknown if the FCPS students on Flight 5342 were returning from this event.
“What we know at this time is that three of our FCPS students and six of our FCPS parents were lost, affecting multiple schools and departments here at FCPS,” said Reid in an official statement released on Jan. 30. “Two of the parents were current or former FCPS staff members. Multiplying the grief are the siblings, spouses, relatives, friends and colleagues who have lost loved ones.”
Reid emphasized that there are plenty of resources available for students and families who may be affected by this tragedy. FCPS principals, teachers, counselors and crisis teams are available to support students who may be struggling to process or cope with this traumatic event.
For more resources in the DMV, read about a local resident who created an app to share resources and community during times of grief and illness, resources like art therapy to help children and adults process emotions, calming books on mindfulness, as well as tips on talking to kids about unsettling events.
