Local school mourning losses from fire

PENSACOLA, Fla. (WALA) - Iasia Cassels is a fourth grader at Global Learning Academy.

Monday she waited for her grandma in daycare, but during the school day; she’s used to sitting next to her best friend, 10-year-old Te’Sjohnna Sanford.

“One time when we were in class, she tried to guess the answer and she got it wrong. So she started laughing, and Ms. Shoupe said ‘what are y’all over there giggling for?’” Cassels said. “And we did this and we said, ‘Nothing,’ And then, Ms. Shoupe said ‘Do you want me to go look on the cameras? I could have sworn you guys were just giggling?’ And we were like, ‘No, nothing. ’”

But Cassels will now look over at an empty desk.

Sanford and her little sister, 8-year-old Te’Laysia Jackson were killed Monday morning in a house fire.

Kim Gandrup was Sanford’s music teacher.

“Every time she would come to music, I’d say roll and I’d count her absent sometimes,” Gandrup said. “And the other kids would say ‘Te’Sjohnna is here! Te’Sjohnna is here,’ and I would say ‘Te’Sjohnna say here’ and she’d go, “Here,” I’d say ‘Te’Sjohnna you got to talk to louder,’ ‘Here. ’ So, she had a very soft voice. She was very.. just a beautiful little girl. Beautiful, beautiful.”

Principal Sheree Cagle hadn’t even made it to her office when she got the bad news.

She had to deliver the message to the students.

“This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do as a principal, and I’ve had to do it three times,” Cagle said. “I had to do it my first year as a principal. I had to tell a first grade student that his daddy died, momma wanted me to tell it. Last year we had an incident at [Allie] Yniestra, and then this year. And you don’t get better at it, and it doesn’t get easier, at all.

It’s a day of sadness, but a busy one for a principal.

Cagle organized her leadership team, giving them all jobs in this trying time, and alerted the district of the tragedy so they’d send grief counselors.

“Today, I’ve been strong, and I’ve stood tall, and I’ve followed the plan, I’ve asked for help when I’ve needed help, but tonight I will go home, and I will hold my three children a little longer,” Cagle said. “And I’ll make sure they know how much I love them, and remind them that nobody’s guaranteed tomorrow. ”