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DANVERS - Fortified with guidance counselors, psychologists and social workers, Danvers schools reopened yesterday morning, ushering children back into a routine in the aftermath of an explosion that ripped through the Danversport neighborhood last week.

Counselors met with children affected by the blast, staff talked to parents, and the principals tried to renew students' sense of security.

"School is a beautiful routine - predictable, safe and familiar," said Lynne Bennett, director of student services for Danvers schools.

But, she warned, the trauma won't dissipate immediately.

"It's important we be mindful of the length of time where this can manifest," said Bennett, whose postgraduate studies concentrated on crisis intervention and post-traumatic stress in children.

She said the "cycle of trauma" is different for elementary-age children, a topic on which she was training teachers yesterday.

"Most people think the fear will present itself today, but in little kids, you might see it in the next two or three weeks, maybe through a headache or stomachache or trouble sleeping," Bennett said. "And older kids come to language much easier and can talk about it."

As the schools returned to the daily grind, it was also the first day back to work for many parents, or a day without the kids as they dealt with home assessments and repairs, or worse.

"I think the children were OK," said Christine Malley of 47 North Shore Ave., whose four children attend Riverside School, Holten-Richmond Middle School and Danvers High School. The family is living in its house, but now she and her husband are addressing additional damage as it becomes apparent.

"Now we're seeing cracks in the ceiling and leaking through our master bedroom and the addition, so we think the roof might have shifted with the impact," she said. "But we're very fortunate to have our home still standing."

Malley said it has been harder on some children whose homes were closer to the blast.

"(Other) children on our street are petrified to go to sleep at night," she said. "They are afraid of the color orange because of the bright, neon flame (from the explosion). They're afraid of candle flames, too."

In order to be a resource for children dealing with those issues, the school social workers met with students yesterday and will continue to meet with them.

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