Video: Joyner Elementary Staff Reflects On The April Tornado

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TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) — It has been exactly three months since the April tornado ripped through Northeast Mississippi. As Tupelo schools make preparations to being a new school year, they are also taking time to reflect on what happened that day as they get ready to welcome back their students.

“From the road the school looked fine, but once you walked through the school it was like, oh wow, this is major,” said Joyner Art Teacher Caren Barber.

That’s the first thing Caren Barber thought when she saw her school in the hours following the storm.

The roof was ripped off, and the kindergarten wing was severely hit.

Exactly three months later, as the start of a new school year is in sight, thoughts still drift back to that Monday.

“All the teachers started talking on Facebook, and we were hearing how it was flooded in some areas, and so, that kind of hit close to home so we had to kind of mentally prepare ourselves before we came up here,” said Barber.

Crews have spent the last 90 days working to rebuild and improve Joyner.

The school now has new floors, fresh paint and a new roof.

Staff members are excited to welcome back their students and they say this will be a fresh new start both mentally and physically

“Even when a storm comes now, they’re still fearful. So, I think that when they come into this place that they will see that it has been repaired and that they will see that things don’t always remain broken and that they can be fixed,” said Joyner School Interventionist Lekata Word.

“We are so excited to see these shiny floors, but more importantly, we know that it’s when the students walk in that’s going to be what makes this year all worth it, so we are thankful for that, ” said Joyner Principle Kimberly Foster.

Joyner’s open house will be from 11 am to 1 pm. July 31.