Dear Lafayette Elementary School Parents and Families,
It is with a heavy heart that I share the recent death of one of our staff members, Mr. Alvin Denmark. Mr. Denmark was our beloved Director of Strategy and Logistics (DSL) and an admired member of the Lafayette community who will be greatly missed by our students, staff, and families.
While this was Mr. Denmark’s second year at Lafayette, he had been a part of the DC Public Schools (DCPS) family for decades. Prior to becoming a school-based DSL, he served as our cluster’s Strategic School Operations Specialist and supported us with several projects, including our modernization back in 2016. Mr. Denmark was an extraordinary friend and colleague; he had an amazing work ethic and always put students first.
This loss will surely raise many emotions across our community, especially our students, and we want to support everyone through this time. In addition to Lafayette’s dedicated wellness team, we will also be receiving support from the DCPS Crisis Response Team—a team of professionals trained to help with the needs of school communities during tough times. Grief counselors will be available throughout the day on Monday to offer students space and time to talk and share their feelings. For our 5th grade students, we have talked with each of the classrooms individually given that Mr. Denmark had lunch duty with them during the week. The counselors and social workers worked with the classroom teachers and shared the following information: 5th Grade Grief Support
If you notice a change in your student’s behavior or your student expresses a need for assistance, please reach out, to one of our Mental Health Team members: or and we will connect them with support. If you need a resource to help guide conversations at home, please visit dcpsmentalhealth.org and refer to Getting Through Grief and Loss: A Guide for Students. The well-being of our students is important, and we are here for you, your student, and your family during this time.
On behalf of our entire Lafayette community, I extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Denmark’s family, friends, and loved ones. If you have any questions, please call the school office at (202) 282-0116 or email me at
With sympathy,
Dr. Carrie Broquard
Principal, Lafayette Elementary School