Hurricane Irma in a child's eye

Through a child’s eyes, Hurricane Irma presented not only a fearful situation, but one that piqued an interest in natural wonder.

Freedom Elementary School fourth-grader Isabella Carson thought she could make the time one of exploration.

She made a contraption with her sister, Hannah Carson.

“We went outside with our longboard, two poles and tied trash bags to each side of the board because we were trying to fly,” Isabella Carson said. “When I started to feel the wind, it kind of scared me, so I went back inside because I thought I was going to blow away.”

After they tested their invention, Isabella and Hannah went inside to weather the storm.

“We stayed at our house,” Isabella Carson said. “It was scary. I actually thought our house was going to blow away.”

The School District of Manatee County issued a directive that schools should allow their students to express and share their feelings about the hurricane after returning to class Sept. 18.

Isabella Bromby, a third-grader at Gilbert W. McNeal Elementary, tried to make her home safer during the storm.

“My brother [Jon] and I made a fort with lots of pillows and blankets,” Isabella Bromby said. “I slept in there for a little bit, and tried to bring all of my pets in there with me, too.”

Alex Layrisse, a seventh-grader at Braden River Middle School, said the storm actually was enjoyable. Family members from Miami came to stay at her family’s home.

“When the storm started getting bad, we could feel it, and then the power went out so we played board games and stuff. It was a lot of fun,” Alex said.

But she did have a closet prepared as a makeshift bedroom.

“It was big with lots of pillows and blankets just in case the storm got really bad,” she said. “I ended up sleeping well that night.”

B.D. Gullett Elementary School fifth-grader Sarah Connor also slept well.

“I had to go and sleep with mom [Andrea Connor] because she isn’t next to a window like I am,” Sarah said.

Hurricane Irma was Sarah’s first hurricane, and she said she does not want to go through one again. But there was one perk.

“I’m so happy school is out,” Sarah said.

The district closed its schools through Sept. 16 as it cleaned the schools that were used as shelters.

“This week we have been cleaning all of the germs from the floors, the walls, scrubbing all of the restrooms and deep cleaning the carpets,” said Todd Henson, director of maintenance and operations for the school district. “There were lots of kitties and dogs, so it stunk bad.”

Isabella Serrano, a third-grader at McNeal, stayed at her school  while it was used as a shelter.

“It was so fun. I have never seen that many people at school before,” Isabella said. “There were a lot of people that I knew there, too. I felt bad for the elderly people who couldn’t sleep because the dogs wouldn’t stop barking.”

Sophia Finnegan, a third-grader at Robert Willis Elementary, enjoyed her week-long vacation.

Finnegan and her family recently moved to Lakewood Ranch from California. It was her first hurricane experience.

“It was fun because we got to sleep in the closet, which was a safe room,” Sophia said. “I was a little nervous when it started, but then we got to use our new iPads and play a lot of games.”