"Katrina taught me that material things are temporary gratifications that can be replaced, and family is everything! It taught me how to clean out my house of those material things that I thought had so much value. It taught me to stop putting things off until tomorrow, and really enjoy life in the present, because tomorrow is not promised. It reminded me to tell my husband, children and family members "I love you," in case I never see them again. It reminded me to be appreciative."

"I was part of the team to help reopen the school and part of the team that helped write the school's charter. I remember Sheila (Nelson, former Lower School Principal), calling me to check on me and to let me know they were able to submit the charter before the storm."

"My classroom was on the first floor in the Annex which flooded. I remember returning to Lusher to see the piles of tables, desks, teaching materials, etc. piled in the yard and along the street. There was a generous out pouring of donations of books and supplies. We collaborated with Tulane and used The Healing Curriculum. This helped us process our emotions. I returned to Lusher when we opened back up in January."

"My eldest child was a kindergartener at Lusher. After only a couple of days of school, we were displaced. We were able to enroll him in another school in River Ridge by the end of October and he returned to Lusher in January. Given that he began kindergarten 3 times, after the first break, he asked which school he would be attending next."

"The reason I am here at The Willow School today is because of a former student. Reconnecting was so difficult after the storm because people were scattered across the country. ... I was reunited with one of my families as a little Abby Collins came running across a store's parking lot while out shopping one day. She was in my pre-k class before the storm (at Hynes) ... Her family informed me that Lusher was reopening as a charter school and I had to apply! ... I think the most challenging part of returning to work in education was how vulnerable I felt and how raw everything seemed. I had been an educator for 10 years before the storm. I had built a deep well of resources that were swept away with the water. I walked into a new school with nothing but what was in my head. ... There was a definite spirit of "we're all in this together" and we leaned on each other to get through."

I was living in Washington, DC, working as an editor/writer and director of Foolanthropy at the Motley Fool. I had attended Tulane for college and was consumed with a desire to return and help. I helped raise $80,000 for the Humane Society of Louisiana through the Motley Fool and flew down to volunteer at their shelter in December '05. The experience made me return to New Orleans a few years later to build a life here.

"Our entire school community understood how important our return to routine was to students and teachers alike. For early fall 2005, I lived near the Brimmer building on Jefferson near Freret. For a time, power was restored from the river to Freret (even if few houses were back with lights). On the lake side of Freret, there was no light at night. There were no generators, no people. Darkness and silence as far as I could see."

"So much has been lost but look how far we have come in the last 20 years. Cohen (where I worked as Data Manager pre-Katrina) took on about a foot of water ... In August of 2006, I started as the Data Manager for Lusher, now Willow. I was not able to reconnect with most of the people I worked with. Everyone scattered. ... The hardest was to be a listening board for all the students and parents. It was sad but they needed someone to listen to their stories."

"Immediately following Katrina, communication was difficult... We were all so relieved to come back, see who else was back, and be a part of a mission we believed in. Everything seemed to mean more - friends, family, kindnesses, time ... Schooling for my then 9-year-old was the hardest. She was at Lusher since kindergarten. She attended a Catholic school in Bellingham and the Sugarcane Academy (group homeschool) on Loyola's campus until Lusher reopened in January. Very little was open in early December - lines at the pharmacy/grocery, etc., short service hours, limited stock, not enough doctors of any kind, especially mental health care. Those who returned in January were so motivated to ... help the city come back, volunteer - so many positive things! Looking back, working with colleagues and friends committed to keeping ... the city going forward while dealing with their own personal situations was incredible to live through. My coping strategies were just going day by day. You wanted to be back so you made it work. You shared tips like when a restaurant or store opened, who was back, who wasn't coming back, etc. Resilience and the need for sharing your story and listening to others stories was a life lesson."

"All crises offer us the opportunity for perspective and a chance to test our strength."