MAYFIELD, Ky. — Mayfield Independent School District students return to school next week. 

Teachers are spending this week checking on students and learning how to help them get to the next level of feeling safe. 

Mrs. Kim Martin was not prepared to say goodbye to students on Dec. 10th. 

“When you're in the middle of renovation, and COVID and then you get hit by a tornado, it's kind of bad,” says Martin. 

Mayfield High School was transformed into a community shelter, donation collection shelter and triage center after the tornado ripped through the town. (Spectrum News 1/Ashley N. Brown)

Her main concern is helping students move past fear and anxiety caused when the tornado destroyed some of their homes and claimed the lives of loved ones. 

“They just need a place to feel safe and you know, like with your loved ones whenever you need to just get something out and you know, somebody's still gonna love you no matter what and you kind of act out a little bit, we’re expecting some of that,” says Martin. 

In the process of helping students heal, teachers are learning how to do the same for themselves. 

“We had a teacher that lost her home and so that's why we went through our training on trauma informed care because we know we have to deal with our own trauma to take care of ourselves right now this week so that we're ready for the kiddos that come in next week and we can help them cope through it and guess we're doing it together,” says Martin. 

She’s transforming her TV production curriculum to help students express their feelings. 

“To where they don't necessarily have to share it with me but it's an outlet they could take pictures of what they experienced what home life looks like now because they've been documenting that whole this whole time before the tornado, so what does it look like now?” says Martin.

Martin says this is an example of how every opportunity is a teaching moment and the most important lesson right now is kindness. 

Mayfield Schools, we hope these items find you doing as well as possible our fifth grade hearts go out to you,” Martin reads from a letter sent from a school in Indiana. 

“I hope your houses get rebuilt for Christmas and I hope that no tornadoes ever hit again merry Christmas,” reads another letter.

School resumes for students on Jan. 10th. 

The district says it will continue to focus on any physical needs of students and their families.

Mental health support and counseling is available to all students and staff.