This has been a week like no other at Essex Fells Elementary School, where students, teachers and staff are mourning the sudden passing of their popular physical education and health teacher, John Paul Viggiano.
Viggiano, better known as “Mr. V” to everyone at the pre-K to 6 school, loved sports, comic books and movies. His death at the age of 45 last Friday initially shocked the community and was followed by an outpouring of love and support for Viggiano’s wife, Jennifer, daughter, Adelina, and son, Adam.
“Everyone in the community has really come together,” school Superintendent Michelle V. Gadaleta said Wednesday. “We’re working to get through this together as opposed to having to do so by oneself.”
Essex Fells Mayor Edward A. Davis issued a statement on behalf of the borough council that offered condolences to the Viggiano family. The mayor said Viggiano will be missed in the tight-knit town of 2,700 residents.
“John Viggiano, affectionately known to students and parents as ‘Mr. V,’ is a beloved figure in the Essex Fells community,” the mayor said in a statement. “To students, past and present, he is well known and fondly remembered for his engaging and joyful personality, his tireless encouragement and his ability to bring out the best in everyone. To parents, Mr. V has long been the kind of dedicated teacher and role model who you are grateful is in your children’s lives. He was an exceptional teacher and an exceptional man, and we will all miss him tremendously.”
Viggiano, of Basking Ridge, was born in Livingston and grew up in East Hanover. A graduate of Montclair State University, he had worked in the Essex Fells school district for 15 years.
Grief counselors were on hand when school opened on Monday to offer support to children and staff. Everyone was encouraged to wear orange and black, the school colors, to honor Mr. V. Each student is taking home an orange ribbon to tie around a tree, Gadaleta said.
The children set up a makeshift memorial at the entrance to the school gym with cards, letters, and mementos. The memorial will remain up through Spring Break, Gadaleta said, and then the items will be boxed up and sent to Viggiano’s family.
A memorial garden is being planned, and a scholarship is being established in Viggiano’s name, Gadaleta said.
Gadaleta said grief counselors offered training to teachers on how to deal both with their own grief and how to explain to children the sudden passing of a beloved figure. Everyone has been encouraged to talk, share their feelings, and support each other she said.
The children in the early grades are too young to understand the concept of death. But the older children generally understand, Gadaleta said, which makes this moment particularly hard on them. “For the most part, the children are doing well,” she said. “The older ones take it harder.”
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe campaign that initially set a goal of $10,000 has collected more than $100,000 in donations as of Wednesday morning.
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