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Police and firefighters fill in for teachers at Greenwood school Police and firefighters watched kids in classrooms at East Hills Middle School while teachers attended a funeral. Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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WEBVTT PBRETT: JENNIFER NELMS HELPED PTEACH STUDENTS HERE AT EAST PHILLS MIDDLE SCHOOL. PBUT ON SATURDAY, SHE PASSED PAWAY. PTODAY, POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS PTOOK TO THE CLASSROOM SO HER PCO-WORKERS COULD ATTEND HER PFUNERAL. PPRINCIPAL FINCHER: IT'S BEEN A PTOUGH WEEK, A TOUGH WEEK FOR THE PSTAFF AND THE STUDENTS. PBRETT: THIS IS 32-YEAR-OLD PJENNIFER NELMS. SHE PASSED AWAY PFROM COMPLICATIONS WITH LUPUS, PAN AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE. PHER SCHOOL ID BADGE SERVES AS A PMAKESHIFT MEMORIAL OUTSIDE THE PCLASSROOM WHERE SHE SERVED, AS A PTEACHER'S AIDE HELPING STUDENTS PWITH ISABILITIES. PPRINCIPAL FINCHER: JENNIFER HAD PMANY TALENTS. SHE HAD A PASSION. PSHE WAS PASSIONATE ABOUT KIDS. PBRETT: BUT TODAY, WHILE TEACHERS PSAID GOODBYE TO THEIR FRIEND, PKIDS FILLED THE HALLS AND WENT PTO CLASS. PTHEY WERE SURPRISED TO SEE THEIR PSUBSTITUTES WERE POLICE OFFICERS PAND FIREFIGHTERS PCHIEF DAWSON: JUST LAST WEEK, PJENNIFER AND JOSHUA WERE BOTH POUT THERE, HELPING LOOK FOR PKINA, AND PRETTY MUCH WERE PCHECKING ON US THE WHOLE TIME. PPRINCIPAL FINCHER: IT BUILDS A PBOND BETWEEN THE OFFICIALS AND PTHE STUDENTS. IT'S NOT A FEAR PFACTOR. PIN THE NATIONAL NEWS, ALL THE PTHINGS THAT ARE GOING ON, AND IT PJUST HELPS US TO REASSURE KIDS, PEVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE OK. PCHIEF DAWSON: WE'RE NOT PTEACHERS, BUT IT WAS A GOOD PEXPERIENCE TO GET THE KIDS, AND PHAVE THEM SEE US ON A DIFFERENT PLEVEL. PBRETT: THE PRINCIPAL SAYS TODAYS PEVENT WAS SO SUCCESSFUL THAT PNOW, THEY'RE LOOKING TO THE PFUTURE TO BRING POLICE A PFIREFIGHTERS BACK IN THE PCLASSROOMS.