Prayers for the family.
I’m still amazed by the “Counsellors were made available to students and staff.” I can remember sitting down in class and the teacher saying something like “Billy won’t be coming back anymore, he died after being hit by a car. Does anyone have the answer to number 1 on your homework?” And that was about all we heard about Billy from that point forward.
I was in sixth grade at Catholic school, when one morning on our way to school our bus passed a burned-out house where we were supposed to pick up a couple of classmates. We got to school, and the nuns had us get down on our knees and pray for the children - our friends, who had died the night before in that fire. The sisters told us that our friends were now in heaven with Jesus. I’ve always felt that offered more comfort to us than all of the counselors that are so popular now.
the teacher briefly mentioning it is probably the best way to handle it with young children. the bigger deal you make of something serious like death more traumatic it is if the child in question is not a close friend or family.... if the child is a close friend or family then it is up to parents to deal with it not the school.