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Dawn Alyson Lafferty Hochsprung
June 28, 1965 ~ December 14, 2012
Dawn's bell is A3. When A3 rings, we remember the beloved principal of Sandy Hook Elementary School, who courageously and heroically gave her life to protect the children.
Dawn, a dedicated educator with a caring and nurturing nature was admired by colleagues, students, and parents, who remember her always smiling, bursting with energy, and extremely passionate about her life's work.
Parents at Sandy Hook raved about a principal who truly cared about their kids -- a woman who made "going to the principal's office" a reason for excitement, not dread. "I never saw her without a smile," Aimee Seaver, the mother of a first grader, told CNN.
The principal was known for her devotion to strong academics for children from the earliest age. She was also known for coming to school wearing pajamas and carrying a pillow on Pajama Day and appropriately dressed on Inside Out and Backward Day. To encourage her students to read, she went to school dressed as a book fairy.
"She brought an element of fun to school," said Lisa Sheridan, a Sandy Hook parent and math teacher at Newtown High School.
A beloved daughter, mother, wife, grandmother and friend, Dawn was extremely devoted to her family. There was nothing in the world she wouldn't do to ensure that her family was happy and safe.
Dawn's youngest daughter, Erica Lafferty, paid tribute to her caring, selfless mother. "To say she was a wonderful person is the understatement of the century. She put her life into making everyone else's lives so much better. Her smile lit up every building she walked into. She made an impact on everyone that she's ever come across. Every adult, every child -- especially the kids. [They were] the light of her life."
Dawn will never be forgotten. A bell for Dawn will always ring at Christmas.