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Adam Martinez and his son, Zayon, 8, examine some of the donated school supplies in preperation of the upcoming school semester in their home in Uvalde, on Aug. 12, 2022. Zayon was present at Robb at the recent school shooting, and will not be returing to in-person classes for the upcoming school year, instead choosing to use the online schooling option.
Uvalde school shooting

Photos from Uvalde: How a grief-stricken community prepared to send its children back to school

Today, students in Uvalde return to classrooms for the first day of school, just 15 weeks after the deadliest school shooting in Texas history.

Brianna Gonzales stands in the backyard of their home in Uvalde on Aug. 10, 2022. Gonzales has decided to send both of her sons back to schools in the Uvalde district.
Brianna Gonzales looks at a picture of her son, Javier, 10, taken at Robb Elementary on May 24 during a school awards ceremony, in her home in Uvalde on Aug. 10, 2022. Javier was picked up by a family member, and taken home, only an hour or two before the events of the shooting.
Javier Gonzales, 10 and his brother Emiio, 5, play in their backyard in Uvalde on Aug. 10, 2022.
Polycarbonate bulletproof resistant sheeting covers the front doors of the cafeteria at Sacred Heart Parish School in Uvalde, on Aug. 14, 2022. The school is preparing for classes to begin the following day, a full month ahead of public schools in the Uvalde district.
An improved and taller fence was recently installed at Sacred Heart Parish School in Uvalde, on Aug. 14, 2022. The school is preparing for classes to begin the following day, a full month ahead of public schools in the Uvalde district.
Principle Joseph Olan points out areas of improvement happening at Sacred Heart Parish School as they prepare for the first day of school in Uvalde on Aug. 9, 2022. Preperations include bulletproof film covering all windows, new fencing, and a more secure system for opening the main doors.
A sign with emergency protocol instructions has the word "Lockdown" crossed out, with the words "Safety, safety, safety" written beneath it, at Sacred Heart Parish School in Uvalde, on Aug. 14, 2022. The school is preparing for classes to begin the following day, a full month ahead of public schools in the Uvalde district.
Martha Buford, a contractor for The Ecumenical Center, plays a brief song on a drum to demonstrate how children might use a room devoted to play therapy, in the Uvalde Together Resiliency Center on Aug. 11, 2022. According to Buford, if counselors are having a hard time understanding a child's emotions, they might turn to music to help - for example, a child might play the drums very aggressively, or wait until the counselor set a tune before joining in.
The Uvalde Together Resiliency Center on Aug. 11, 2022.
A pile of donated toys and games for children inside a unit at the Uvalde Together Resiliency Center on Aug. 11, 2022. Martha Buford, a contractor for The Ecumenical Center, explained that if a child is nervous about the counseling sessions, they are often allowed to pick a toy before beginning, which usually helps calm them down.
A page outlining the seven stages of grief sits on a desk inside a counseling room at the Uvalde Together Resiliency Center on Aug. 11, 2022.
A unit dedicated to play therapy, a method counselors use to help understand the children they meet with at the Uvalde Together Resiliency Center on Aug. 11, 2022. For example, Martha Buford explained that kids who played with the wooden house, or the makeshift kitchen, were often seeking things that were normal. They might organize the house, to restore a sense of order.
Family members and friends of Uziyah Garcia view a freshly completed mural in his memory in Uvalde on July 17, 2022. Each of the 21 victims of the Robb Elementary shooting will receive a mural painted by artists from across Texas.
Young softball players hold their helmets to display a sticker that reads "Uvalde Strong" at the Main Plaza in Uvalde, on July 17, 2022. The team is from a neighboring town, and playing a tournament where they hope to show their support for the families of the Robb Elementary shooting victims.
Adrianna Medina, 10, does training with her service dog, Ocean, at Uvalde Memorial Park on Aug. 28, 2022.
Uvalde residents enjoyed live music, food and dance at an End of Summer Block Party hosted by local businesses at the courthouse on Aug. 12, 2022.
Adam Martinez and his son, Zayon, 8, at their home in Uvalde, on Aug. 12, 2022. Zayon was present at Robb at the recent school shooting, and will not be returing to in-person classes for the upcoming school year, instead choosing to use the online schooling option.
Zayon Martinez, 8, a former student at Robb Elementary, at his home in Uvalde, on Aug. 12, 2022. Zayon was present at Robb at the recent school shooting, and will not be returing to in-person classes for the upcoming school year, instead choosing to use the online schooling option.
Zayon Martinez, 8, plays pool in the same room he will most likely be attending virtual classes during the upcoming school year, in his home in Uvalde, on Aug. 12, 2022. Zayon was present at Robb at the recent school shooting, and will not be returing to in-person classes for the upcoming school year, instead choosing to use the online schooling option.
Attendees of the 21st Annual Wellness Fair, hosted by Community Health Development Inc., participate in a raffle for children's bicycles at the Civic Center in Uvalde, on Aug. 12, 2022.
Attendees of the 21st Annual Wellness Fair, hosted by Community Health Development Inc., participate in a raffle for children's bicycles at the Civic Center in Uvalde, on Aug. 12, 2022.
Attendees of the 21st Annual Wellness Fair, hosted by Community Health Development Inc., explore different activities, including backpack and diaper distribution, caricature drawing, art crafts, and learn about therapy pets at the Civic Center in Uvalde, on Aug. 12, 2022.
Children use virtual reality goggles to explore different careers and trades at the 21st Annual Wellness Fair at the Civic Center in Uvalde, on Aug. 12, 2022. The goggles, provided by the Texas Workforce Commision and Transfr, allowed the children to perform tasks in a course aligned with a specific career choice, including options such as a robotics specialist, paint shop specialist, first responder, hotel front desk, electrician, machinist, among others.
Attendees of the 21st Annual Wellness Fair, hosted by Community Health Development Inc., explore different activities, including backpack and diaper distribution, caricature drawing, art crafts, and learn about therapy pets at the Civic Center in Uvalde, on Aug. 12, 2022.
Attendees of the 21st Annual Wellness Fair, hosted by Community Health Development Inc., explore different activities, including backpack and diaper distribution, caricature drawing, art crafts, and learn about therapy pets at the Civic Center in Uvalde, on Aug. 12, 2022.
Attendees of the 21st Annual Wellness Fair, hosted by Community Health Development Inc., explore different activities, including backpack and diaper distribution, caricature drawing, art crafts, and learn about therapy pets at the Civic Center in Uvalde, on Aug. 12, 2022.
Children and their families browse through roughly 800 donated backpacks by Lockhart residents Connie and Louis Amaya at an O’Reilly Auto Parts parking lot in Uvalde on Aug. 13, 2022. The Amaya's held an earlier distribution back in July, but ran out within 30 minutes.
Children and their families browse through roughly 800 donated backpacks by Lockhart residents Connie and Louis Amaya at an O’Reilly Auto Parts parking lot in Uvalde on Aug. 13, 2022. The Amaya's held an earlier distribution back in July, but ran out within 30 minutes.
Children and their families browse through roughly 800 donated backpacks by Lockhart residents Connie and Louis Amaya at an O’Reilly Auto Parts parking lot in Uvalde on Aug. 13, 2022. The Amaya's held an earlier distribution back in July, but ran out within 30 minutes.

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