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"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.

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