INDIANAPOLIS -- A school battered by a tornado that tore a narrow swath through Indianapolis' east side was open as usual on Monday, despite damage to the building.

Officials at John Marshall Middle School used their voices instead of a bell to let students know it was time to get to class.

The public address system was not working in the year-round school damaged by the storm, 6News' Julie Pursley reported.

Part of the roof of the gymnasium was torn off by the tornado, but the rest of the structure was declared safe.

"Some of my gym clothes are still in there that I want," said student Erica Ingram. "That can be replaced with different things, but I can't be replaced."

Several of the school's students lived at Falcon Point apartments, which was devastated by the storm, or in houses nearby that were also struck.

"My heart just really went out to them. Wherever I'm needed, that's where I'm going to be at," said parent Joselyn Ingram.

"If any kids have a concern, maybe about hygiene, something to eat -- let us know ASAP and we can address that real quick," said John Marshall Principal Jeffery White.

Debris was scattered in the schoolyard Monday morning, but teacher Lori Hardister and her students decided to clean that up.

"We were upstairs and I said, 'This is a great opportunity to do a service learning project to clean up around the school,'" Hardister said.

"We just wanted to help out the community and pick up trash and stuff," said student Dhante Willoughby.

The gym roof was covered, but repairs are expected to cost close to $500,000. The same school was hit by a tornado in September 2002. The cleanup after that storm cost $2 million.