EVERGREEN, Colo. (KDVR) — Dozens of Evergreen High School students showed up to Evergreen Lake Wednesday, for a free boat day hosted by officials in the hopes of giving the students some time to reconnect before going back to class.
“Teenagers are resilient they are ready to see their classmates, they are ready to see their teachers and they are ready to be together,” Klaire Funderburgh, the lake house coordinator with Evergreen Lake said.
The lake officials said several of the students at the high school are employees at the lake and it is very much a “hub” for the students who have grown up in the area.
“We were all heartbroken,” Funderburgh said. “We rushed up as soon as we could we helped however we could, I don’t think you ever expect it to be in your hometown until it is.”
Some of the students who went to the boat day told FOX31 that they are “ready to go back to class,” but one senior at Evergreen High School, Tyler Guyton, said to FOX31 that there are a lot of emotions after the shooting on Sept. 10.
“It’s been two weeks and trauma doesn’t go away in two weeks,” said Guyton.
Guyton also said that even though students will return to school, the return will feel and look different.
“We still have to get kids in the school, I have friends who drive by the school and throw up or others who can’t go past the library cause of the trauma,” said Guyton.
Wednesday night, the school hosted an open house for both parents and students to come and see the school before returning.
“I’m feeling good cause everything will be good and there will be more security which will make everyone feel better,” said Ford Jost, a freshman at Evergreen High School.
Jefferson County Public Schools previously announced plans for staff and students to return to the high school. There will be student activities held during the mornings of Thursday and Friday and students will return to school for partial days of classes next Monday and Tuesday.
Both Jost and Guyton told FOX31 that most students are ready to return based on a survey taken by students.
Evergreen High School Shooting | Coverage from FOX31
“It was scary, the last 12 years we’ve been in and out of drills planning for this but we never thought it would happen at Evergreen,” Guyton said.
The district previously said staff members were undergoing training to help deal with trauma response and mental health support would be available at the school.
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
