SGCHS Mourns the Loss of John Colney

May 28, 2025 -

Dear Parents/Guardians and Students:

It is with great sadness that we inform you of the sudden and unexpected death of a student who was enrolled at Spruce Grove Composite High School and the Parkland Student Athlete Academy. Grade 10 student John Colney passed away recently. John strove for excellence in everything he did; his sport (judo), his school, at home and in our community. He naturally became a leader anywhere he went and loved volunteering in his community and teaching the values he loved about Judo. He was so loved and will be missed a great deal by his family, friends and the community at large.

Condolences on behalf of Spruce Grove Comp have been shared with family. They have been assured that the thoughts of students and staff are with them now and in the coming days and weeks.

PSD`s Trauma Response Team members will be available to SGCHS and the Parkland Student Athlete Academy, where John attended to assist students’ and staff members’ emotional health and well-being.

We are aware that students process loss in different ways, and we would encourage you to talk and listen to your youth to assist them in understanding this loss. Many factors influence our reaction to death: who passed away,  the support system available, age, personality, and especially previous loss experience. For your information, we are providing the following suggestions for helping youth grieve.

Parents/Guardians, here are some ideas to consider when talking about this sensitive topic:

• Be attentive when they have questions and want to talk.
• Listen to their feelings and accept them, even if they are different from yours.
• Give honest, simple, brief answers.
• Make sure that they understand your answers and the meaning that you intend.
• Create opportunities for your child to talk about how they are feeling.
• Encourage positive self-care activities specific to your child’s preferences.  Examples could be physical activity, journaling, artwork, or positive and supportive time with people they care about.
• Be especially loving and supporting; more than anyone else, your youth needs you at this time.

Above all, listen and let them know that their feelings are normal and acceptable.

If you have any concerns regarding your child, please do not hesitate to contact the school.

Crisis Hotlines and Community Resources

Student safety is of prime importance to the Parkland School Division. We have a variety of helpful phone numbers available for  teens and parents in need at times of crisis. Most are available 24/7. Always call 9-1-1 if someone is in immediate danger.

We encourage parents and guardians to familiarize themselves with the Student Safety pages of the Parkland School Division website:

https://www.psd.ca/schools/student-safety/crisis-hotlines-community-resources

As always, the Student Services office is located in Room 154 and has three counsellors available to assist students in addition to the Trauma Response Team members on site.

Cam Robertson, Principal
Spruce Grove Composite High School