COCKE COUNTY, Tenn. — It's been 19 days since Cocke County students have been back in the classroom. Hurricane Helene and flooding canceled school for a week, and then students had fall break.
Wednesday, 1,200 students returned to Cocke County High School. Principal Dr. A.C. Willis said he's met with around 14 students who were displaced. He said that the process of aid started immediately.
"The first thing we did is identify who are the students that were affected," Willis said. "We know our students already but letting them know that we're here for them if they need anything and seeing what those needs are."
Wednesday, teachers were encouraged to have small group discussions with students. Across the district, mental health services are available to students.
"One of the things we discussed was giving the students an opportunity to tell their stories," Willis said. "Some of our teachers went through the same thing. They may not realize the trauma until two or three months later and maybe a year or two down the road."
At Three Rivers Learning Center, Bryan Douglas and Karoline Bowman are also offering support to students on a one-by-one basis. There are around 40 students at the alternative school, and Douglas and Bowman work in student support services.
"When our basic needs aren't met, it's really difficult for us to focus on our educational goals," Bowman said. "To expect students to go from just sheer disaster in the community to walking back into school... that's not gonna be an easy transition."
Services to students include student support specialists, help from the McNabb Center, and the family resource center will provide supplies ranging from coats to food, to school supplies.
In a statement, Cocke County Schools said no facilities were damaged by the storm. Bus routes, however, are most likely affected in some areas due to road closures.
"We understand that this has been a difficult time for our community," Director of Schools Manney Moore said in the statement. "Social and emotional support services will be available for students and staff who may be impacted by the flood."
Cocke County Schools student support supervisor Bryan Douglas said support will follow students the entire year, but a routine is healthy for students and staff.
"People need to be busy," Douglas said. "We're gonna do everything we can to meet the physical and emotional needs that you might have, and then we're gonna try to get back with the business that we do, and that's educating our kids."