CHARLES CITY, Iowa — "Death of a family member" is the title of the press release sent out to Charles City School District teachers and parents regarding Darla Arends' passing.
Arends was a special education teacher at Charles City High School for 25 years. She got sick with coronavirus in September and died from the disease on Nov. 6, according to the district.
"In her 25 years at Charles City High School, Ms. Arends touched the lives of many students, parents, and staff as a special education teacher," said the district in a statement. "Her reach went well beyond her classroom and students, serving as a mentor for her Charles City Family. She is a beloved and valuable member of our family, and she will be deeply missed. When asked why she was a teacher, she responded, “to help students become themselves.”
Those who had Arends in class remember her fondly. Zack Hibner, a graduate of Charles City High School, said Arends was patient and kind.
"She was a nice teacher and she helped me a lot," said Hibner. "She helped me with my homework and had us all journal every day."
Hibner's mother, Melanie, said she often called Arends after school hours to ask a question about Zack, and the two of them would get to talking about anything and everything.
"She would talk to me about her cats, oh she loved her cats," said Melanie Hibner. "We'd talk about everything, and I would just call her up at home and she would help me with Zack. She was the kind of person who you saw around town and she'd stop and talk to you about your kids."
Hibner said losing an educator to the virus is especially difficult. She and her son both had coronavirus earlier this year.
"It's just devastating, just devastating," said Hibner.
Counseling services will be offered to teachers and students on Tuesday when the school week begins.
Local 5 will continue to update this story as we receive more information.