I was in Mrs. Sherrod’s 3rd grade class at Woodmont School in Nashville, Tennessee. We were told not to be upset because he was not dead. But within a minute or two of turning on the television the we heard the death announcement.
I just did a search on Woodmont School and this post came up. I had Mrs. Sherrod as well for third grade, but it was I guess 1970-71. We feared, but never saw, the paddling machine.