Selectmen, BOE honor deceased NCHS student

City officials have called for moments of silence at public gatherings this week to honor the life and memory of a New Canaan High School student who died Saturday.

At Monday's Board of Education meeting, Chairman Hugo Alves asked the elected body to “observe a moment of silence to honor and remember Elliott Kropf, a beloved member of our school community who tragically passed away this weekend.”

“Our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time,” Alves said at the start of the school board's regular meeting, held in the Wagner Room at New Canaan High School.

New Canaan's top elected official, First Selectman Dionna Carlson, also asked for a moment of silence during the Board of Selectmen's regular meeting at City Hall on Tuesday.

“I would just like to ask for a moment of silence in honor of Elliot, a 12th grader at New Canaan High School who passed away Saturday night,” she said. “It's a tragedy for the community.”

NCHS started Monday with a two-hour delay, with buses running at regular times to give Friends time to gather, show support and speak with counselors and staff if needed.

A Zoom meeting on Tuesday morning with crisis expert Maria Trozzi was very quickly filled with 500 seats, according to school board member Dr. Bryan Luizzi. The meeting, titled ““Strengthening children’s resilience in difficult situations and challenging times: coping strategies for children and families” will take place again on Wednesday at 7 p.m. (5,000 places are available) and will be held via a Zoom link. (Meeting ID: 931 6191 9037).

“Maria's presentation will provide all of us with tools and strategies to help us navigate these difficult times, and we are deeply grateful that she made herself available to our community on such short notice,” Luizzi said in an email to the New Canaan Public Schools community. “Everyone is welcome to attend — no registration is required. And please always remember to reach out at any time if we can help you or your child.”

Luizzi described goiter as ““strong student, an excellent athlete, a kind young man and a wonderful friend” who will be missed by those who love him. In New Canaan and elsewhere, many members of the hockey community have placed hockey sticks outside their doors and shared photos with the hashtag #sticksoutforelliott to show their support for the Kropf family.