Jane Kurtz: Author of Books for Young Readers

DES MOINES, Iowa – Flood and tornado damage will heighten first-day-of-school anxieties for some in Iowa this year. A former principal from Grand Forks, N.D., offers a few words of advice – and comfort – because she knows what students and teachers face in the aftermath of a disaster.

Dr. Ann Porter was principal of Lincoln Elementary School when it was destroyed by the Red River flood that inundated Grand Forks and neighboring towns in 1997, forcing more than 60,000 people from their homes, including her family.

<>She offers a few tips on how to deal with school displacement.

She recommends that children be allowed to grieve. The new school year did not start before students and staff said goodbye to Lincoln. For one day they gathered at the old school building for a remembrance ceremony. Food was served and pictures were taken in front of the flood-damaged building. ÒThere was closure,Ó said Porter. It was an important part of a grieving process because children were dealing with losses – loss of homes, familiar surroundings, and memories.

About 120 students out of the 200 that once attended Lincoln began school the following fall at Calvary Lutheran Church. ÒWe moved our place,Ó said Porter. ÒBut we were the same school.Ó The governor visited to show his support, but more important, the school continued the same traditions they held at the old place.

<>They continued with their pot luck dinner tradition, inviting families and students. They also revived a tradition of creating a mural with a resident artist. They lost the Lincoln mural to the flood but went on to create a new one. The artist returned and directed them in painting one that featured the past, present and a journey to the future.

'I can't stress enough the importance of using the fine arts – painting, music, writing – to help children work through these situations," said Porter. Students wrote poetry with the guidance of an area children's book author and a former Lincoln parent, Jane Kurtz (www.janekurtz.com). Porter also suggested encouraging children to keep a journal. ÒItÕs a very helpful way to deal with emotions. Many of the activities, including an all-school field trip to a pumpkin patch, were paid for with grants or donations from civic groups, other schools, and individuals.

Porter and the teachers also initiated the Lincoln History Project to celebrate the nearly 50-year history of the school. Through interviewing for and writing about its past, children broadened their sense of community and developed an appreciation for Lincoln Elementary School's past.

Porter wants teachers in Iowa to know that it is critical to let parents know that their children are comfortable and safe. It eases the anxiety parents already have about their situations.

Porter's approach paid off. Anxieties among the students and staff were little more than a mild undercurrent and discipline problems were minimal.

A new elementary school, named Phoenix to mark the city's rebirth, was opened the following fall, about a year and a half after the flood. It replaced two elementary schools with a long history – Belmont and Lincoln. Phoenix represented a new start with the comfort of past traditions and the hopes for a better future.

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FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.

Editors: More information about the Iowa disaster is available online at www.fema.gov or www.Iowahomelandsecurity.org.

Dr Ann Porter may be contacted at 701-772-5295 or by email: mgporter@gra.midco.net.

*Jane Kurtz wrote River Friendly, River Wild (Simon & Schuster, 2000) and a number of books for young readers (www.janekurtz.com). Below are some poems written by Lincoln Elementary students, with her guidance.

Flood Damage

I saw broken glass from the window of my house.

It looked like a horse; a dirty horse.

I felt mud. It felt soft like soft hair.

I heard glass breaking when we were throwing garbage away.

It sounded like a quiet "ching.Ó

I tasted some candy from the gas station. It tasted good.

I smelled flood water. It smelled like root beer pop to me.

I am glad that the flood is over.

– by Emily, Kindergarten

Big, Big Flood

I smelled stinky water.

It smelled like rotten fish.

I saw water rising fast in streets, like water in the sink.

I tasted Red Cross potato chips every day.

They were as crunchy as chocolate bars with nuts.

I touched the cat to keep it company and quiet on the way to the base,

I heard the bulldozers taking down buildings.

They were as loud as twelve cheetahs running.

– by Randy, Grade 1

Big Sad Flood

When people got to their houses to see them, I heard the sound of crying.

It sounded as loud as honking a car horn.

I smelled rotten fish.

I felt our moldy couch. It felt like a fluffy dog.

I tasted cold Gatorade, as good as pop.

When we went to St. Cloud, I was crying because my dad had to stay.

We lost lots of toys.

The big toys were in the basement--

My train set and my Batman guys and my walkie talkies.

– by John, Grade 2

Flood of Ô97

The day before the flood, I heard the truck coming into town.

It sounded like a roar.

At the beginning of the flood,

I saw water whirl into the street.

It looked as scary as a monster.

After the flood, I tasted the Salvation Army food. It tasted like real food.

I smelled the mud and water.

They smelled like garbage

I felt really sad in the heart.

– by Julia,Grade 3

The Flood

The hardest things to throw away

Were my stuffed animals.

Before the flood,

My stuffed animals

Felt soft and furry.

My favorite one was

My cuddly Mickey Mouse.

All of my stuffed animals looked so neat together.

They always smelled fresher than fresh.

Then the flood came,

All of my toys were wiped out.

They felt sticky and gooey.

All of my stuffed animals

Looked like brown pieces of junk.

The brown smell of stuffed animals filled the air.

I saw the river.

It looked like mud

Floating along,

Shimmering and

Glistening in the sun.

I touched rocks.

They felt hard and wet.

I smelled the brown smell of the water

It smelled like sewage

It was dirty.

I heard the sirens.

They sounded like a loud foghorn.

I tasted steak.

It tasted tender and juicy.

Floods are more destructive than I thought.

It's hard to get through 'em

People put their heads down,

Cup their faces with their hands and sob.

– by Tom, Grade 4

The Lost Bike

My big green bike, now muddy and rusty.

I used to ride it all last summer.

It smelled like fresh rust in the morning.

It felt rough from the rust.

Now, it's in a junk pile shredded up and gone.

– by Alex,Grade 5

Flood Poem

I am mad at the flood because it snatched half the summer from me.

It turned some of my things into useless garbage.

Before the flood,

My parents freaked trying to get everything out of the basement.

I was happy that we got our big screen TV and Nintendo out of the basement.

The day we were evacuated, I was a little excited because

I knew we were going to Kansas to stay with my parents' families.

When I got back, I was upset because the summer was half gone.

And I had to work harder to get our house back to normal.

– by Ben, Grade 6

Tips for Teachers of Destroyed Iowa Schools: It's About Community and Shared Traditions

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