Jason Arndt, jarndt@wolfrivermedia.com
The Bonduel community is mourning the loss of a 15-year-old high school sophomore.
Paige Brunette was killed along with two Shawano Community High School students in a two-car accident on state Highway 22 in the town of Belle Plaine on Tuesday evening.
“We would like to send out our prayers and thoughts to the Brunette family as well as the families, students and staff of Shawano High School who are also dealing with this tragedy,” said Patrick Rau, Bonduel School District superintendent. “Words cannot express how difficult it is when a child of our school family leaves us at such a young age.”
Rau described Brunette, the daughter of Matthew and Leann Brunette, as an outgoing, friendly student who desired to make her family proud. Two younger brothers, Quintin and Rome, are students at Bonduel Middle School.
“She was a good student and really cared about her friends and her family, and wanted to do well for herself and her family,” Rau said. “One student that is a part of a high school in a small community is an extended family, and we wanted to make sure the parents knew that.”
In her two years as a Bonduel High School student, Brunette developed a passion for art, Rau said.
While some students learned about the accident on social media platforms Tuesday, the loss did not sink in for many until Wednesday.
“For a lot of the students, it became real when they arrived at school, when they did not see that familiar face,” Rau said. “When grief hits, nobody knows. For some students, it was right away when they came to school. Some students may have had a class or have seen her at a later point in the day, and that is when it hit them.”
Rau, who asked reporters not to speak to students, said many of the youngsters were coping with the tragedy by sharing their thoughts with others and speaking with counselors at the school.
“They are dealing with it as well you would expect. Sometimes we short students on their resiliency and their ability to handle situations like this,” Rau said. “It is a great reflection on their friendships in school.”