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.

"We touched base with all of the students and their families today to determine their level of need," said Michael Cali, principal at Holten-Richmond, where roughly 20 students were directly touched by the explosion, he said. Cali held an assembly for the whole school yesterday morning to acknowledge the difficulty of what happened and to remind children they are fortunate to live in a supportive community.

"We're trying to get students back into a normal routine," he said, "and obviously being aware of any students having difficulty."

Danvers High principal Eileen Erwin said each child processes grief differently, and the schools are staying tuned into that. About 12 high school students were affected by the explosion, some seriously.

"I think the message we've always learned is that children process things in their own way," said Erwin, who has been an educator for more than 30 years. "At school, we can provide structure for kids, because without that it seems as if the whole world is falling apart. But if school can still be the same, it can be a strong support structure they've always known."

Superintendent Lisa Dana and Bennett have been meeting with principals, and administrators spent yesterday at the affected schools. The other elementary principals chipped in to help Principal Garth McKinney at Riverside School, which is right up the street from the explosion site and has a large number of affected families.

"In times of crisis we often assume staff have skills on how to be available for the children, but we have to make sure we hold up our staff so they can do that work," Bennett said. "And many of our teachers are also parents, and they have multiple identities. We expect ourselves to have it together, but we can't forget we are human beings before we are teachers."

Signs of trauma

"Expect the next couple of weeks to be atypical in terms of our children's behavior, and allow it to be atypical," said Lynne Bennett, director of student services, who specializes in post-traumatic situations in children. "But if parents have worry, and it exceeds that time, parents should contact their primary care provider."

Food and clothes

The Danvers People to People Food Pantry and the Children's Closet are open and can provide residents in need with free food, clothing and food vouchers as they are available.

It is located across from Danvers Town Hall at 12 Sylvan St. and is open during the following hours:

r Monday and Thursday, 9 to 11:30 a.m.

r First and third Thursday of each month, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Want to donate?

The People to People Food Pantry accepts food and new adult clothing. It accepts gently used children's clothing if it is in excellent condition, according to Barbara Remon, who runs the pantry.