LESS THAN A WEEK after Hurricane Katrina swept homes, businesses, and schools away along the Mississippi and Louisiana coastline, Bleyl Middle School staff in Houston, was greeting, feeding, taking clothing sizes, and listing basic needs of each family member as if registering our new 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. On the first day, we registered 37 students and continued to do so for several weeks until our number of Katrina Kids mounted to 69. We are still receiving new students! We soon discovered that each child and family came with a story that needed to be heard. Here are excerpts from the writings of some of our Katrina Kids.

�The impact Katrina has had on my life is huge. Not only because I used to live there, but also because I had family members that lived there. Just to think about it sends chills up my spine. I was in New Orleans for a wedding. If I stayed a little while longer or an extra day, I would be in the position of staying on top of a roof or walking in the toxic water that my grandmother walked through.� 
Will, 8th grade, Texas.

�Hurricane Katrina has had a very surreal impact on my life. Watching the news and seeing the damage done just made me more aware that Texas could have been hit, and the hurricane could have done as much damage, if not more. I am glad that the people coming to school�fit in perfectly with us.� 
Maggie, 8th grade, Texas

�Hurricane Katrina has impacted my life many ways. I feel sad for all the people that lost family members and their houses. Also, all the kids that have no parents�I feel that if there was something I could do to help everyone I would, but for now all that I can do is donate things. At school everything is different because there are a lot more kids. I wish I really could help them more, but right now I can't do that. Until then, God bless them all.� 
Maribel, 8th grade, Texas.

�Hurricane Katrina was a big storm and dangerous. Everyone said she would miss us, but Katrina didn�t. My family and I went to Alabama for two weeks and then we went to Slidell, which looked awful. It was torn up. Some places were open, but our house�s roof had caved in. The business my dad works at in downtown New Orleans was all messed up. So, we had to move to Houston. I�ve been here for two and a half days and love the schools. The teachers are very nice. But I can�t  wait to go back home and see all of my friends. Hurricane Katrina took away the gift of life for over 800 people. It is a sad time for Louisiana."
Zachary, 6th grade, Louisiana.

�The biggest impact it has had on me is seeing all the homes get destroyed. I say to myself,  �I�m going to help our neighbors out.� So, every weekend at my church, we raise money to go to the Red Cross and we deliver food. It�s a tough time, but people are trying to help out as best they can.� 
Jordan, 8th grade, Texas.

�Every day I think about my cat. We left him at home because we did not think that the hurricane would be that bad. I just hope he�s alive and that somebody picked him up and is taking care of him. I would give anything to just have my cat back. He is still a little kitty.� 
Steven, 7th grade, Louisiana.

Dr. Donna Poland, Principal of Bleyl Middle School, is a PSI consultant (DonnaPoland@PSI-Solutions.org).