School district aims to make return ‘as normal as possible’ after principal’s death

Bellingham Public Schools will try to make the transition back to school Monday as normal as possible for Sunnyland Elementary School students and families after the principal and her therapy dog were fatally shot in their home over winter break.

Principal Lynn Heimsoth, 58, was found dead in her home in the 900 block of Marine Drive on the morning of Dec. 26. Her death was ruled a homicide by the Whatcom County Medical Examiner.

Heimsoth’s therapy dog, Suhka — who attended school with her — and a cat were also found fatally shot.

Heimsoth’s 56-year-old husband, Kevin, was identified as the suspected shooter by the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office. He remained in serious condition Friday, Jan. 3, in the Intensive Care Unit at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the sheriff’s office and Susan Gregg, a hospital spokesperson.

Kevin Heimsoth was formally charged Friday with premeditated first-degree murder and two counts of first-degree animal cruelty (a felony) by the Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Whatcom County Sheriff Bill Elfo said Kevin Heimsoth has not been formally arrested yet because he would need to appear before a judge within 72 hours, and that is not practical at this time due to his hospitalization. Elfo said deputies continue to monitor him at his bedside.

Around 650 people showed up for a celebration of life for Lynn Heimsoth, which was held at the Bellingham High School Performing Arts Center on Saturday, Jan. 4. Moles Farewell Tributes handled the service.

The family asked that media not attend or cover the service, and declined to share pictures or video from the event.

The crowd was a mix of school district employees, families and former coworkers of Heimsoth’s, said Dana Smith, a spokesperson for Bellingham Public Schools. Smith said Superintendent Greg Baker officiated the service and that he shared a reflection of Heimsoth’s life through stories he had collected from her family and colleagues.

Smith said there was also a video presented that had music and photos from Heimsoth’s life and that Whatcom Therapy Dogs were on site to greet people as they entered the building.

“I don’t know who shared this with Dr. Baker, but a common sort of statement that Lynn would say would be ‘It’s OK to be where you are, but it’s not OK to stay there,’ and that was part of her philosophy of continually learning and growing and striving to do better on our work with kids and our work with educators,” Smith said. “It was a very heartfelt, just loving service celebrating who she was as a person and educator.”

Back to school

In a message sent to Sunnyland families Jan. 2, Baker said many parents had asked what the transition back to school on Jan. 6 will look like in light of the deaths.

Baker’s Jan. 2 statement said members of the school district and Whatcom County’s Mobile Response Teams will be at school all day, as well as throughout the week, to help. The teams have extensive, specialized training in responding to crises at schools and with children, Baker’s statement said.

In addition to the mobile response teams, each teacher will read a statement to their class in the morning.

The statement will be something like:

“Good morning. We have some news to share about Principal Lynn and Sukha, her dog. They died unexpectedly on Dec. 26th. Some of you may have already talked about this with your family and for some this might be new information. You will probably see some unfamiliar adults at school today; they are here to help anyone who is having a hard time/big feelings about Principal Lynn’s and Sukha’s deaths. People will have lots of different ways of showing their feelings about this, and that’s OK. Your day at school will be like other days, with reading, math, recess, and all the regular things we do, but if you have questions or want to talk to someone, you can ask me or one of the other adults. We will miss Principal Lynn and Sukha very much.”

After the announcement is read, the district’s goal is to “make the school day as normal as possible,” including regular classes, lunch and recess, Baker’s statement said. Team members will be available for any student or staff member who needs extra support and questions from children will be answered in age-appropriate ways, the statement said.

Baker said many had asked how they could support the district during this time.

“The best way you can support our staff as we return to school is to keep routines as normal and predictable as possible for the children. Thank you in advance for helping our staff focus their emotional energy on our students,” Baker’s statement said.

Media has been asked not to be at the school during the first few days back.

Smith, the district’s spokesperson, said the mobile response teams have well-developed protocols for dealing with upsetting events that happen to the school community. She said that while it’s been hard for district members, the focus is on the children at Sunnyland.

“I think it’s just one day at a time. The focus of the team is to get the school back to as normal as possible because that’s always the aim — provide support to folks that need it, but keep the school running and doing the core work of teaching and learning,” Smith said. “It’s been really, really tough, but I think once school is back in session and people are back at work consistently, then we can really see what the path is with moving forward with helping the adults in the system.”

A bundle of energy

Smith said many within the district loved Heimsoth and Sukha.

“She was a bundle of energy, positive, funny, professional and had a humongous heart for the kids and for moving the work forward in Sunnyland around equity,” Smith said. “She was really a wonderful person.”

Heimsoth was the principal at Sunnyland Elementary since July 2017. She previously served as the principal at Shoultes Elementary in Marysville for four years. She also worked for Bremerton, North Kitsap and South Kitsap school districts as an elementary teacher and instructional leader, according to the school district.

More than 200 people attended a candlelight vigil held in her honor at Sunnyland Elementary on Dec. 27.

The school district announced Dec. 30 that Amy Berreth, the dean at Sunnyland, will step in as principal, while Brian Pahl will serve as dean and continue to support staff with technology professional development.

The district also provided resources for families to speak with their children about the tragedy, which help deal with death and grief.

In addition to those resources, the district said Our Treehouse, which hosts peer-support groups to deal with grief, will also be present at the elementary school at the start and end of the day on Monday. The district also said several good books, such as “When Dinosaurs Die,” are available to help with those conversations, Baker’s statement said.

Kevin Heimsoth may have admitted to killing his family on a Twitter account that appears to be associated with him in replies to the National Rifle Association, President Donald Trump and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Undersheriff Doug Chadwick said the sheriff’s office was aware of the Twitter account, but that as of Dec. 30, they had not determined whether it belonged to the suspect.

Twitter has since suspended the account.

Resources

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault, you can contact the following local resources for free, confidential support:

▪ Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services: 24-hour Help Line: 360-715-1563, Email: info@dvsas.org.

▪ Lummi Victims of Crime: 360-312-2015.

▪ Bellingham Police: You can call anonymously at 360-778-8611, or go online at cob.org/tips.

▪ WWU Consultation and Sexual Assault Support Survivor Advocacy Services: 360-650-3700 or wp.wwu.edu/sexualviolence/.

▪ Brigid Collins Family Support Center: 360-734-4616, brigidcollins.org.

This story was originally published January 5, 2020 at 5:00 AM.

Denver Pratt

The Bellingham Herald

360-715-2236

Reporter Denver Pratt joined The Bellingham Herald in 2017 and covers courts and criminal and social justice. She has worked in Montana, Florida and Virginia. She lives in Alger, Wash.