Because of the Bug Fire, nine Washoe County schools were closed during what was supposed to be the first week back from summer. Monday, students and staff returned and are working through the repercussions the fires left behind.
In order to support students, the school district says it's important for them and parents to talk with students about what they went through and understand they may have some big emotions about it.
“It was a pretty scary time for a lot of our families. A lot of our zone was either evacuated or was ready to evacuate,” said School Counselor Casey Rogers. “In the yellow or the red. So, I know for a lot of our families and our kiddos, it was very unnerving. And there was a lot of worry around that.”
Staff at all of the nine schools are making sure to be available to students working through their thoughts and feelings regarding the evacuations.
Monday went well for those returning, but there is still the possibility of that changing. The school district is asking parents to take a few steps if they notice their child is struggling.
“Reach out to your school, contact the office, ask to speak with the school counselor. And then we can give you the resources that you need,” said Rogers.
At this time, there hasn't been a decision made on whether or not students will need to make up the lost time, since it was due to a state of emergency.
The district also has family resource centers available that will help with the process and says to please not hesitate to reach out. More information on the resource centers can be found here.
