BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. -- Some kids got out of their cars dazed but smiling, others rushed into teachers' arms, the hugs long and teary. Nearby, Principal Frances Weiler watched, dabbing her eyes as children finally came back to North Bay Elementary School.
It was a back-to-school day like no other in the Bay St. Louis-Waveland School District on Monday as hundreds of children from kindergarten through 12th grade returned to the classroom more than two months after Hurricane Katrina cut through the heart of the Hancock County towns.
Click "play" to hear North Bay Elementary School students and teachers during their first day of class since Hurricane Katrina. (John Brecher / MSNBC.com)
“I am so happy,” Weiler said, as she accepted congratulations and hugged teachers and parents. “I’m just so happy to see the children.”
At North Bay, children came back to a series of prefabricated modules, linked by a wooden boardwalk that keeps them out of the gravel and mud that still surrounds the grounds. The stark, white classrooms are fitted with the basics, including chalkboards, textbooks and some writing materials.
In the distance, the hulk of the old school, swamped by the enormous storm surge, awaits demolition.
Sign of hope
For the towns, the resumption of school –- kids had three weeks of class before Katrina struck –- represents a landmark in the recovery process.
“People see this as a sign of hope,” Bay St. Louis Mayor Eddie Favre said. “They are getting a bit more normalcy in their lives.”
Favre, as well as officials from FEMA, the Corps of Engineers and local and state agencies were on hand for the ribbon-cutting.
Read previous post about the school system's rebuilding effortThe emotional outpouring underscored how far Bay St. Louis and Waveland have come since Katrina struck, destroying hundreds of homes, sending families fleeing to neighboring counties and states for shelter.
It also offered the first hard numbers on the hurricane's impact on the population of the towns, which had a total of about 15,000 residents before the storm.
According to schools Superintendent Dr. Kim Stasny, only 39 percent of children returned to classes on Monday, a bit below her predictions of around 40 to 50 percent of the 2,300 in the district.
'It's going to get better'
“It’s going to get better,” she said. “More kids are going to start coming back.”
For teachers and parents, it was a day to rejoice and forget their troubles, at least for a few hours.
“It doesn’t matter if we have one or 300 (students),” said third-grade teacher Tammy Raymond, as she waited for the kids. “We don’t care, we’re going to have them and we’re going to teach them and we’re going to love them.”
Raymond attended North Bay, graduated from the district's Bay High School in 1989, and started teaching in her old elementary school in 1995.
She now lives in a FEMA trailer, and worries whether she can stay maintain her strength if the children become distraught over their hurricane experiences.
“I’m excited and a little nervous about what they are going to say, how they are going to react, how I’m going to be strong,” she said.
Introductions and discussion
With only 14 of the 31 second-grade students back in their shared classroom, teachers Gretchen Darby and Leslie Brown started by getting the children to introduce themselves and writing their names on the chalkboard. Later they planned to read a book about a hurricane experience as an opening to discuss Katrina.
Darby’s home was destroyed and she’s staying with family members as she and her husband figure out what to do next.
She appreciates the opportunity to work again. “This brings some stability, some routine. I’m glad to see the kids,” she said.
For parent Ellen Hoffmann, the day is like no other.
“It’s a miracle,” she declared as son Joe Joe, 8, returned to North Bay and daughters Alexis, 10, and Adele, 12, went back to two other schools.
The Hoffmans lost everything and just drove back to Bay St. Louis this week. “Our main goal was to get the kids back to their friends, it’s very emotional,” she said.
Hoffman, who lost her job in the town's casino, said it’s often the children who keep her from losing her sanity.
'This is his best day'
As for Joe Joe, “This is his best day,” she said. “If they are here they don’t have to deal with the destruction.”
The lesson of Katrina will be hard to forget. The school district celebrated on Monday, but the long-term prognosis isn’t as cheery.
Stasny, the superintendent, worries about the financial support for the school system. The shrunken tax base may not be able to support the 180 teachers and six schools that serve the two communities.
“Our cash flow is really strapped right now, but as soon as we get reimbursements from FEMA, our insurers, it will improve (in the short term),” she said.
Stasny says the district is contractually obliged to pay its teachers for this school year, but she isn’t sure what will happen after May.
Moreover, the district needs to rebuild the schools, resupply teaching materials and restock its libraries and computer laboratories. More than 750 computers alone were ruined in the storm.
“I’m really concerned about what we’re looking at next year,” she said.
Laundry daze
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God Bless all of those who have survived this devestating ordeal, keep your head up and stay positive, things will get better, GOD BLESS!!!!!
Carla Cheatham,Washington,DC (Sent Nov 8, 2005 3:06:36 PM)
I, too, wish to add my congratulations to these wonderful and brave children. They are the heroes of our time. They endured so much pain and yet, they are examples of strength. We can all learn from them. God loves each and everyone of His little children. Congratulations also to the teachers and Principal and all the workers at the school who were there to welcome these heroes back. God bless all of you!
June Suafoa, Santa Rosa, Ca. (Sent Nov 8, 2005 5:44:54 PM)
This whole ordeal has been so difficult on the kids, its a blessing to see the schools reopen and bring some sense or normalcy back to their lives. I run a small company that provides classroom software for educators (http://www.eofficehours.com), and I'd like to extend an invitation to all hurricane victims to use our software for free to help supplement their classrooms while their schools rebuild. God bless you all.
Daniel Simon, California (Sent Nov 8, 2005 6:46:53 PM)
I am a counselor in this school district. No, lunches weren't great. But, we had two cafeterias serving six schools. This was a little difficult and it was tough to predict the numbers that would return. Our cafeteria workers are doing the best that they can and the children all had a good lunch today. Patience is the key. We won't let kids go hungry. Things are getting better each and every day. Please know that we are doing all that we can possibly do to take care of and love the children of our schools.
Amy, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi (Sent Nov 8, 2005 7:42:03 PM)
On October 24, I was part of a delegation of teachers from Moline, Illinois who traveled to the Bay St. Louis/Waveland School District. We were able to drive a 26-foot U-Haul full of beautiful materials to the Gulf Coast and put much needed educational resources into the hands of teachers.
What we saw was beyond horrific. Imagine the bomb blast at Hiroshima; but instead of fire and radiation, the destructive agents were water and mold. We talked to people who have had their lives turned upside down; but instead of hopelessness and despair, they are responding with determination and courage. When we left, we had every confidence in the world that Superintendent, Dr. Kim Stasny, Curriculum Director, Donna Torres and the rest of the staff would have the schools open and ready to educate children. We are also sure that they will continue to provide a quality education for children and be able to overcome any obstacle.
Stephanee Jordan, Moline Education Association, Moline, Illinois (Sent Nov 8, 2005 8:22:10 PM)
I am a retired teacher whose home was destroyed in Waveland and was a community correspondent for the Sun Herald. I was to start doing profiles on the teachers and students when the hurricane hit. I am presently living in GA and am glad to hear some children are able to go to school again. The teachers should apply to NEA for grants.
Connie Malone ( Waveland, MS) Gainesville, GA (Sent Nov 8, 2005 10:45:28 PM)
Hooray for the Bay! I live in Jackson County, MS, and my kids were able to get back to school much earlier than the kids in the Bay. As stressful a time as this has been for my family, with an extra teenager living with us so that she can attend "her" school with my daughter, I can't imagine living just a few miles to the west. Those of us who live on the Mississippi Gulf Coast thank each of you for your prayers and assistance, and our own special prayers are with the staff and children of the Bay, Waveland and the Pass as we all try to rebuild our lives and return to some semblance of normalcy, which we know will be years returning.
Kim, Ocean Springs, MS (Sent Nov 9, 2005 2:07:40 AM)
May the good lord give you the strength and will power to pick up the pieces and stand firm in your endeavours. Gods riches blessings
Renee Gwaunza (Sent Nov 9, 2005 3:13:48 AM)
Welcome back everyone in Bay St. Louis! Nice to see it won't be a ghost town anymore. Hopefully it won't be long before all the schools and casinos and factories are back to work. I pray to God and the saints everyday and night that the people of the Bay Coast region will find strenth and stability once again to show our children that yes, it was bad and yes people lost their homes and jobs and some people will never come back because they are with the Lord now but we are still here, still alive and we can clean this all up and start over. We are Americans, and we are Southerners! We are known for helping one another and provided we keep our communities strong and our faith in one another, We Shall Overcome!
GOD BLESS EVERYONE!
Chrissie Gulfport MS. (Sent Nov 9, 2005 8:59:01 PM)
Our 16 year old daughter called us tonight from Waveland to let us know that she and her group arrived safely and will be starting work tomorrow morning. Her academy took 30 students to help with clean-up and rebuilding. We asked her how she was doing and she replied "I'm great, everything is wet and dirty and moldy and we are sleeping in a tent and the food is bad, but I'm great!" I can tell already that she has deepened her appreciation for the uncertainty of 'things'. I am a teacher also and looking at the classroom in the picture above makes me cry. I know the love and care and thought that teachers put into their classrooms. I am wondering if there is a way to send materials especially to Head Start classrooms in the affected areas?
God bless you and keep you and give you peace.
Rondee, Marysville WA. (Sent Nov 9, 2005 11:57:02 PM)
Thanks thanks thanks. The children at the middle school received the back packs that were donated. They were excited. (funny how they now get excited over such a thing) My child was extremly happy because he had the coolest one (and it really is cool). To the many people who sent them I gave a warm thanks - you made me and my child both smile and we still everyday he puts that crazy cool looking back pack on.
Elizabeth, Waveland (Sent Nov 10, 2005 9:55:15 AM)
I'm finally happy to see something good after post Katrina. Three weeks after "katrina" happened and all you heard was the bad stuff. Now months later you hardly ever hear anything about how all those people are doing now on the news or even in your own community. It's good to see that some place shows good things happening down there. May God Bless each and every person who has been affected by Katrina and the World for that matter.
Lisa, Virginia (Sent Nov 10, 2005 2:28:39 PM)
TAKE HEART!YOU ARE NOT ALONE. TOGETHER WE ARE STRONG NATION. AMERICA WILL PULL THROUGH IT ALL. THE EAGLE SOMETIMES FLY LOW, BUT IT IS A HIGH SOARING BIRD. TAKE HEART AND GOD BLESS YOU.
SHEILA BROWN, ELK GROVE, CA (Sent Nov 11, 2005 7:33:49 AM)
My husband and I viewed the Waveland area during our recent disaster relief visit and the destruction is so extensive - it's going to take years to recover. My continuing prayer is that this tragedy is not lost amongst the distractions of daily living; that the media will remain focused on the continuing needs of this area; that the schools and children will not be forgotten while big business and the economy get the attention. While those of us blessed this holiday season with the comforts of home, there are so many others that can not go home for Christmas this year. My heart aches to provide more. I pray others will feel the same this holiday.
Amy Graham, Lake Zurich, Illinois (Sent Nov 29, 2005 1:54:09 PM)
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