Barbara Feldman: A Letter from Baton Rouge

A Letter from Baton Rouge

This just in from a Surfnetkids reader:

I just wanted to let your readers know that it really is as bad down here as the media is reporting. However, there are some bright spots. I am in Baton Rouge which is now the largest city in Louisiana. We have refugees everywhere. Power is slowly being restored here. Gas and food is increasingly difficult find. The city's infrastructure is stretched beyond its limit.

However, the Louisiana Superintendent of Education is urging people to enroll their children in school as soon as possible. It is so important to give them some feeling of normalcy.

My children's school reopened Wednesday even though our principal and half of our teachers did not have power. We have new students enrolling constantly. There were many tears today. Our teachers hugged the new students and told them how happy we were that they were at our school.

We will accommodate as many new students as we can. Right now we are not sure where we will find textbooks for everyone but we will manage. Even though we can not do all we wish we could for our neighbors from the south, we know we can educate their children.

I am so proud of our school for doing all that it can.

LaVonne Martin
Baton Rouge, LA