Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1190776
H E 10 0 - F O O T pine trees surrounding Ridgeview High School in Magalia are charred black. Tower- ing over students and educators as they go about their school day, the pines serve as stark reminders of the destruction wrought by the Camp Fire only a year ago. And the freshly bulldozed dirt where neighborhoods of family homes once stood, now dotted with trailers and recreational vehicles, shows that this story of recovery is far from over. For residents of Paradise and surrounding Butte County communi- ties, every moment of the day can evoke memories of when the skies turned black with smoke and f lames consumed nearly everything familiar. As efforts to rebuild continue, many of those scattered in the Camp Fire diaspora have returned to their communities — more than expected by Paradise Unified School District, where the high school alone had 300 more students than anticipated on the first day this year. But while the flames have long been extin- guished, healing the minds and hearts of those impacted is a lengthy process. "Our kids are pretty angry. We've had lots of fights. ey don't know what to do with these emotions," says David Smith , president of Teachers Association of Paradise (TAP). " When you've got 36 kids who've all been through this trauma, it's hard to have a lot of learning going on. It's nobody's fault, but that's the way it is." Golden Feather Teachers Association President Marianne Moore says the uncertainty of post-fire life is difficult for her fourth to sixth grade students. Although Concow Elemen- tary School survived, its water system was damaged beyond repair. A Phoenix Rising Educators deal with students' and their own post-traumatic growth after disasters Story and photos by Julian Peeples T temporary home for their school is just one in a long list of ways the fire is still impacting Moore's students. "Some of them are in mobile homes or live far outside of town. ey're grouchy and tired. One girl shouted out the other day, 'My parents can't afford anything!' ey lost what little they had," she says. " We're doing the best we can and it's OK, but we need a lot." Trauma lives in nervous system e impacts of natural disasters on commu- nities are long-lasting and far-reaching. Whether it's a "They lost what little they had. We're doing the best we can and it's OK, but we need a lot." —Marianne Moore, Golden Feather Teachers Association president 30 cta.org feature David Smith