Sixth graders at the Scholars’ Academy in the Rockaway’s now have a permanent record of their experiences following Sandy: a documentary they produced with the help of professional teaching artists.

While all New York City school buildings damaged by Sandy are operational, one school just over city lines on Long Island took a little longer to re-open. Students returned to a renovated facility on Monday.

The drama program at Scholar’s Academy is climbing back from Sandy’s storm damage to put on a spring show in its renovated theater. Equipment and costumes still needed.

The notification process for public and private school acceptances were supposed to be in synch this year but because of Sandy the public school notices are coming two weeks late, on March 15. This has left some families forced to pay private school deposits now while they wait. “We tell them that they have to read their contract carefully before they sign on the dotted line,” a parent advisor said. “Be prepared to lose your deposit.”

School officials got overall high marks from the City Council for their response to Sandy. They said additional school repairs and long-term fixes can’t happen without federal disaster relief funds.

It’s like the first day of school all over again for the staff and students of Scholars Academy. The school returns to its Rockaway Park building Friday for the first time since Hurricane Sandy hit the area.

By the end of the week, all but two schools displaced by storm Sandy will be back in their original locations. P.S. 288 on Coney Island welcomed back students Monday with great enthusiasm after two months making do at a host school.

As schools displaced by flooding and storm damage return to their buildings, and the holiday volunteer buzz fades, communities hard hit by Sandy still face a long recovery. One student recently undertook a book drive to help an elementary school, and he collected over 400 books.

New York City’s teachers’ pension fund will put $1 billion towards financing construction and repair projects for city roads, bridges, and homes, President Bill Clinton among others announced the unusual arrangement on Thursday.

Some high school seniors had their college applications delayed by Sandy, and may be writing about the experience. What real-life events were in your essay? Hear the conversation on The Brian Lehrer Show. Plus, Don Fraser, from the National Association for College Admission Counseling, offers suggestions on how to best address the storm’s impact in an essay.