SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Following the death of a 16-year-old student of Route 51Learning Institute, the city's two high schools have put counselling services in place to help students and staff deal with the loss.

The teen died after being found unresponsive in a downtown alley Tuesday afternoon.

Allan McDonald, co-principal of Sir John Franklin High School, said school staff held a meeting Wednesday morning before classes began to put in place a plan to help students and staff cope with the news.

"We have been circulating a list amongst the staff, some students are more affected than others, and that's always the way with grief, to keep a close eye on them," he said.

He said at a Super Soccer assembly on Wednesday afternoon, the school held a moment of silence for the 16-year-old boy.

For the first day following the death, the school called in three off-site grief counsellors to help its four on-site guidance counsellors.

McDonald said although the deceased youth did not attend Sir John Franklin, the effects of this tragedy are felt throughout the schools.

"It's such a small community. He had many students and friends who went to elementary school with him. Even my own daughter went to school with his brother," he said. "Some staff are related to the young person that passed away. We're watching everybody pretty closely."

Todd Stewart, assistant principal at Saint Patrick High School, said a classroom had been set up for grieving students and the school had called in additional counsellors as of Wednesday.

He said the 16-year-old had been attending the school before he switched to Route 51, a drop-in program run by Yk Education District No 1, which allows students to continue to pursue their high school education.

"The student hadn't been at St. Patrick High School since January," said Stewart.

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