While student deaths do happen, this one is especially tragic. A 6th grade student was murdered by her own mother. As a middle school PTO officer, somehow I was included on another family's email to the school principal and staff regarding a memorial to the student. (I don't know this family, so I feel rather awkward). The gist of the email was the family would purchase a bench, tree, flowers, etc for a memorial garden.

Please share with me your thoughts on how to handle this. We can certainly coordinate the design/construction of a garden, or work with the school to have a bulb planting by students, or perhaps have a book donation program in her memory (our school is only 2 years old so books are needed).

How do you tactfully go about finding out what would be a meaningful memorial? And then how much or how little should the PTO be involved? We have about 750 students so not everyone knew this little girl.