Debbie Estapa's Story
Gulfview Elementary School was completely destroyed by Katrina. The building and every teaching material and school supply was lost. Although the school is operating now in temporary trailers alongside Hancock Middle School in Kiln, administrators are uncertain when - or if - the school will ever be rebuilt. "In my classroom, everything revolves around books, no matter what the subject is. I’m always connecting the current topic to some different book. First Book has let me keep teaching in this way, and it’s been great. The children are really enjoying The Magic Treehouse book we’re reading now, but we were lucky to get many, many books. All of my students have lost their home and all their belongings, and these books were so wonderful to give the children something to read at night with their parents. Reading gives them a much-needed outlet to not deal with the effects of Katrina and pretend they’re in a different place. It’s unbelievable what little is left around here since the storm - but First Book has let us create a school environment that’s a great escape from FEMA trailers and the visions of houses that were once there but are no longer." |
Debbie Estapa
