A Delicate Balance

I got another new student today, this one in my reading/language arts class. He is a Hurricane Katrina evacuee from MS. He seems like a sweet kid, though is very shy and possibly socially immature. He talked a little, saying "Our house was just gone." At one point, he said everything was gone, shook his head and looked lost for a minute, and then went back to his reading.
Later, I was helping him with his locker, and he shook his head in disbelief while saying, "Everyone here is so nice." Made me wonder what he's seen to think we're so nice (not that we aren't nice, but I think we are normal, ya know? Of course we welcome him and any other kids we come across!) My eyes started to get a little watery.
So, I'm afraid that class (up to 9 now, 7 boys and 2 girls--rather large for a sped class) is going to turn back into a 3 ring circus while I get him in the swing of things. Fortunately, I have 1 student I can ask to help him while I put out the various other fires I deal with over the nearly 2 hours I'm with this group. I hope the other boys don't scare him too much--they can be a rowdy bunch (I'm working on toning that down--any advice???)