DAVENPORT – Students on their first day back to school from winter break mourned the loss of 11-year-old classmate Yazmin White.

“We have the grief counselors who are here for our teachers and students,” said Polk Schools Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd on Thursday at Davenport School of the Arts, adding those services would be available for the family. “Yazmin loved school. She was very dedicated to the arts.”

A sixth-grade student and piano major at the Davenport magnet school, Yazmin was killed before 5 p.m. Wednesday when she was struck by a train while crossing tracks near i U.S. 17-92 and Bates Road in Haines City.

“Unfortunately, she had only been here about four months,” Principal Brian Kier said. “Her teachers were talking about how dedicated she was to music and her talents.”

Yazmin, who lived off Hammerstone Avenue in Haines City, was leaving Carmelita’s Food Mart, 2670 U.S. 17-92. Polk Sheriff Grady Judd said she went to the store while her 9-year-old brother was asleep at home. She had purchased two drinks, chips, gum and snacks.

“Going to the death of a child is horrific,” Judd said Thursday. “She was picking up snacks for her and her younger brother while her mom was coming home from work. What a wholesome thing to do.”

She was wearing earbuds when she was struck by the southbound Amtrak at 68 miles per hour – 2 mph less than the speed limit.

“These tragic events are always shocking,” Byrd said. “We’re here as a family to rally and provide support. She’s going to be greatly missed.”

The conductor told deputies Yazmin never acknowledged that the train was coming. Judd said mortality is something 11-year-olds don’t tend to think about, but recalled at least five similar incidences locally in the past couple of years in which people were wearing earbuds, headphones or looking at a device.

“It’s one of the saddest, most heart-wrenching events a law enforcement officer will ever encounter,” Judd said. “(The conductor) blew the horn for a quarter of a mile, all while trying to stop the train. She never heard the train.”

Byrd said she was told by one of Yazmin’s teachers that Yazmin was really excited to take home a planter box she had made before winter break.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help pay for funeral expenses. To support, go to https://www.gofundme.com/m7xkd-funeral-expenses.

“For being here for such a short period of time, she made a lot of friends,” Kier said. “We thought she’d be a leader here in the coming years. It’s a tremendous loss.”

Mike Ferguson can be reached at Mike.Ferguson@theledger.com or 863-4016981. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson.