Asheville Students Return to Classes Amid Challenges Following Hurricane Helene

Asheville Students Return to School After Hurricane Helene

The city of Asheville is finally taking a step toward normalcy as students returned to school on Monday for the first time since Hurricane Helene. It was an emotional day filled with reunions, relief, and a lot of hugs, as students and teachers came together to support one another after the chaos disrupted their lives.

A Warm Welcome Back

As students stepped back into their familiar classrooms, feelings of joy and gratitude filled the air. Kanihas Clinkscales, a high school senior, expressed his happiness, saying, “I’m happy to be back, see all of my friends, see everybody’s alright and survived.” His words reflected the heartwarming sentiments shared by many as they navigated such a challenging time.

Asheville High School Principal Derek Edwards described the emotional climate at the school: “Lots of hugs this morning as our kids are coming in, ‘cause they’ve missed us too, we’ve missed them.” The bond between students and staff was evident, highlighting just how profound the impact of the storm had been on the community.

Confronting Challenges

Despite the excitement of returning, the school faced significant challenges. While the school buildings escaped heavy damage, much of Asheville still grapples with the aftermath of the storm, including a critical shortage of clean drinking water. Principal Edwards shared, “We’ve got students who’ve lost their homes, we have staff who have lost their homes, lost family members.” This hard-hitting reality cast a shadow over the day, but also reinforced the need for everyone to come together as a community.

The priority for school officials was ensuring that the necessary resources were in place before reopening, especially when it came to providing students with access to clean water. Fortunately, support arrived in the form of Water Mission—a non-profit organization that typically sets up water systems in disaster zones. They installed a water filtration system that allows schools to provide filtered water on a daily basis. Edwards noted, “They’re filtering water and we are going to provide water on a constant basis for our students.” This solution marks a significant turn toward normal school operations.

A Focus on Emotional Healing and Learning Loss

As classes resumed, the focus is not only on academics but also on addressing the social-emotional needs of the students. Mindy McCormick, a ceramics teacher, highlighted the importance of recognizing the trauma that many students may have faced during the storm. “I’m not sure what students have experienced, I’m not sure what level of trauma they endured,” she reflected, acknowledging the different paths each student has traveled since the storm.

With a month of instructional time lost, educators are faced with re-evaluating their curriculum. McCormick shared her concerns about what to keep and what to cut from the syllabus, emphasizing that they won’t be able to cover everything this year. This set of challenges poses a daunting task, yet educators remain determined to find a way forward.

Resilience in the Face of Adversity

Despite these hardships, senior Kanihas Clinkscales expressed a hopeful outlook. The lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic have taught him and his classmates valuable skills in resilience. “We’ll be able to rebound, I think it’s mostly about how much work ethic we can put into getting back into the flow of things,” he said. With the community’s strength and support, there’s a shared belief that they will find a way to bounce back.

Buncombe County Schools Join the Reopening

Additionally, Buncombe County Schools, which operates separately from Asheville City Schools, also reopened on the same day but began with a two-hour delay for the first week. This gradual approach allows both students and teachers to adjust after the unsettling experiences brought on by the storm.

As Asheville continues to heal and rebuild, the reopening of schools signifies more than just classes resuming; it’s a symbol of hope and resilience in the face of adversity. The community stands strong, ready to support one another as they move forward, together.