Memorial Created At East Brook Middle School Following Deaths

PARAMUS, NJ — The mood was somber at East Brook Middle School Friday morning, the day after teacher Jennifer Williamson and a student were killed in a horrific bus crash on Interstate 80 Thursday.

People left flowers, candles, handwritten notes, and stuffed animals at the base of a school sign Friday, and a flag was flown at half-staff against a gray sky. There were several police officers on campus. No students or teachers were outside.

A man wearing a school ID said those there were "just trying to make it through the day."

Nick Daurio, a former student of Williamson's, expressed his sadness on Twitter Thursday night.

Sources say Williamson was a 20-year teaching veteran. The RateMyTeacher website says she taught social studies, where a review was posted late Thursday by a student who said she was kind to everyone and would be missed. "She truly loved what she did," the student wrote.

Authorities have not released the name of the fifth-grader killed in the crash. Forty-three other people on the bus were injured, some of them critically, authorities said.

Related:

• Paramus Community Mourns Dedicated Teacher Killed In Crash
• Teacher, Student Confirmed Dead In Paramus Field Trip Bus Crash
• Paramus Student Recounts Chaotic Bus Crash Scene
• Community Starts #ParamusStrong Hashtag In Wake Of Fatal Crash
• Paramus District Cancels Trips Following Fatal Crash

Email daniel.hubbard@patch.com. Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here.

Photos of a makeshift memorial to teacher Jennifer Williamson and a student at East Brook Middle School in Paramus. (By Daniel Hubbard, Patch staff)