ST. LOUIS — Central Visual and Performing Arts High School students and staff returned Tuesday to in-person classes for the first time since a gunman opened fire inside, killing a student and teacher there on Oct. 24.
St. Louis Public Schools officials have worked hard to help students and staff emotionally reach a place where they are ready to return.
The first bell rang at 7 a.m., and students began arriving a half-hour or so prior to that.
Many mental health resources were available for students and staff including single and group therapy sessions, as well as therapy dogs. District officials said those resources will remain on campus until further notice.
Extra security measures were also in place, including more St. Louis Police around campus, as well as more armed and unarmed security inside the building.
Student Alexzandria Bell, 15, and teacher Jean Kuczka, 61, were killed and several other students were wounded in October when a 19-year-old former student opened fire inside the school.
St. Louis police shot the gunman, and he later died at a hospital.
District officials said the emphasis was on making the first day back as normal as possible. No one else was allowed inside the building for that reason.
5 On Your Side was able to catch up with administrators and parents before the first bell rang.
While many are still healing, they all said, they're feeling optimistic about what lies ahead.
Familiar sounds of music and laughter filled the halls and classrooms on Tuesday.
Principal Kacy Shahid, said she was ready to hear those sounds again.
"We have a long road ahead of us and I am just taking it day by day. I hope that my students and staff follow my lead," she said.
Shahid described the last three months as a 'bad nightmare,' but that's not what she's putting her focus on.
"That incident that happened on October 24 does not define who we are as a school community, nor will it define how we proceed in the future," she said.
"It felt amazing. I was back to what I was used to doing," student Armone Johnson said of his first day back on campus. "The building doesn't even look the same so it's nothing that's going to trigger anything. They made sure everything looks different. They're being sensitive to how everybody's feeling and adjusting to coming back. It's amazing. I can't even lie."
Students have been learning virtually since October. They enjoyed the hero's welcome when they returned.
"{They were} telling us 'Welcome back' with signs, very welcoming and then we got in the lunch room and you see everybody hugging," student Ahmylah Gunn said.
"Us being away from the school made it harder," said student Giselle Vaughn.
When they returned Tuesday, teachers had a message.
"'If you need any counseling, we have support dogs...Over 30 counselors, social workers or whatever the case may be so there was a lot of people there to help us," Gunn said.
Although he knew the teacher and student who lost their lives, this 11th grader wants to stay strong, in hopes of inspiring his classmates to do the same.
"Part of the reason could be because of me, how good they see I'm doing and look at that and say '{There's} nothing to worry about'," Johnson said.
Among the crowd of parents and staff welcoming back students on Tuesday was Keisha Acres, mother of Bell, who lost her life in the deadly school shooting.
5 On Your Side asked Acres why it was important that she showed up.
"Because I still got kids in this school. All of them belong to me. Every last one of them. I didn't birth them, but they belong to me because my child was a part of their family. My child meant something to them, so in turn, they mean something to me," she said.
Parent Patrice Hill said her daughter was ready to come back to school.
"She's doing good. She's doing good. I think it affected me a little bit more than her because this is just not something that was expected, so as a parent, you know, you're all in your feels, and you just want your kids to be okay," she said.
For the Dean of Arts, Manfert McGhee, it was a bittersweet day.
Not only was he in the building on Oct. 24, but his son was injured from the shooting too.
"When it first happened, one of the questions quite naturally, that he had was, 'Why am I still here?' And my response to him was, 'Because it wasn't time for you to leave her yet, so we're just going to be grateful that you are still here and just move forward,'" McGhee said.
While the memory will always be there, Shahid said, the freshly colored walls and smiling faces show this school's light is still shining.
"What you’re experiencing is the fabric of who Central Visual and Performing Arts High School is and who we have always been. Again, as a graduate, it’s a personal mission to me to continue with the legacy of the success of the school. I’m just glad that the community at large is able to see and witness just something beautiful," she said.
For the remainder of the week, CVPA is on half days, so they will get out of school at 11 a.m.
District officials said postponing in-person classes until Tuesday was necessary due to construction delays to fix the damage sustained during the deadly school shooting.
Virtual options will be available for students who feel they need more time before coming back. For weeks now, all students at Central VPA have been learning remotely.
Students at Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience, which shares a building with Central VPA, started in-person learning in late November, with the option of remaining virtual for the rest of the school year.
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