Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1987-09-23, Page 11ha - Times -Advocate, September 23, 1987 Page 11 BRIAN HAYMAN DEREK BECKETT STEPHANIE PEARSON LISA McDONALD Fire hasn't. extinguished "1 was in the school to register for school. And it was black..I was wondering where I'd go because I was a new kid. But then my Grandpa told me because he read it in the paper. I thought there'd be no school for a while...I was so surprised...I wonder what the arsonist is doing right now." From: "What I think of the fire" by Adam, a grade five stu- dent attending classes at Exeter United ('hurch. • In the early morning hours of August 27 an unknown hand struck a match and changed the 1987-88 school year for the students of Exeter Public school. A walk through the main hall of the school makes the immediate ef- fects of the fire apparent, and almost anyone involved will tell you that, though costly, the effect the fires have had on the community is positive. Ex- eter has risen to the occasion. School is operating with classes scattered throughout the town and children are learning. - Adam's Grade five teacher, Leslie McConnell, has turned the experience into a positive one by asking her class to write compositions about the fire. Children may, in fact, be learning more in the make -shift environment than they would have through the routine lessons of regular classes. But how do they, the people most af- fected, feel about the situation? Derek Beckett and Linda Snell are among the 120 grade seven students who have been relocated at SHDHS. For them things have changed radically. "It's a lot better here," says Derek. "We have our own lockers -- you're more independent. "I -don't want to go back because it's more fun here." Among the things that Derek enjoys about his new environment are higher desks, different subjects and, more than anything else, a new-found freedom: he doesn't have to line up in single file. I kind of wish that when ou et WAITING WELCOME - Al Taylor, principal of Exeter Public school, examines some of the articles that have been salvaged from the devastation of the fire at the school. On the blackboard is the message 'Welcome Back. I'm glad you're in my class." The message was never received. Damages to the building are estimated at close to one million dollars and that figure continues to climb. A challenging situation Teachers starting from scratch The South Huron Rec Centre has taken on a new, livelier dimension. The bicycle racks at the side of the building are spilling over with two wheelers of every description. There is the faintest smell of smoke in the air..Occasionally the sound of a chain- saw whines in the distance. And more than 200 Exeter Public School children with heads bowed in concentration, work quietly at their desks inside, waiting for their school to be rebuilt. They are just one of five groups of students scattered throughout town in church basements and at the high school. It looks as though they will be there until, at the earliest, late October. But according to Exeter Public school principal Al Taylor, that's not as bad as it initially. sounds. For the staff, the experience has • provided them with daily challenges they normally would not face. For the children, it's been something of an adventure. Taylor says the staff has been forc- ed to cope with organizational pro- blems. Teachers stationed in Exeter United Church, Trivitt Memorial and Exeter Pentecostal Church have to make daily trips to the Rec centre where the school's main office has been relocated. That fact, combined with the extensive loss of hand -made teachers' aids, has caused some dif- ficulty for the staff. "It's probably more of a hardship for the staff because our duplicating machines are here and our letter boxes are here (at the Rec Centre)," Taylor explains. As for the students, he says they're enjoying the situation. "I think they're enjoying it and get.. tingback to Exeter Public school might be a hardship for them" Taylor quips. Even as the Public school principal discusses the problems of teaching in a refugee -like environment, work con- tinues across the street. Construction• crews are pushing hard to complete renovations in the primary wing of the school, though work there at this Point consists of tearing down the damaged portions of the building. The crews are working toward a completion date in late October, but every day new problerhs arise which threaten to extend the construction period. This week it was discovered that the floors in the gymnasium and primary wings have to be replaced because of smoke damage. "The time is going to be set back every time something new is discovered," Taylor says. The principal praises the way the community has rushed to help the school set up its make -shift units around town. Blackboards and audio- visual equipment have been provid- ed by neighbouring schools. Parents are making accommodations to follow every request from the'staff. Charterways bus company is deliver- ing students to their various locations at no extra cost. "Response from the community in not only a personal way, but in other ways has been terrific," Taylor notes. Rec director Lynne Farquhar echoed Taylor's thoughts on that sub- ject. Farquhar and her staff are play- ing host to the group of students. That job has been made easy by the co- operation of people renting the facilities. The temporary school must be dismantled Friday afternoons and set up again Sunday nights so that people can use the hall for weddings and banquets. As for Taylor, who recently took over as principal at the school, things have been .hectic. "-Somebody says: 'Where's your of- fice?' and I say: 'In my car." A challenge for teachers Beth McLellan, a grade two teacher currently conducting classes at the Rec Centre, lost a classroom library and most of her teaching aids in the fire. Because the younger students handle a lot of 'hands-on materials' -- stones, shells, buttons, blocks -- smoke damage made the useless. "It's just like starting all over again starting from scratch, which is okay," says McLellan. "It has its good points as well." Aside from setting up and tearing down on a regular basis, McLellan finds the noise levels in the open area distracting at times. "It's an adjustment working in such a large area with all the noises," she says. "But over-all 1 think everybody is doing a good job." Leslie McConnell, a grade five teacher who is leading her class through their studies at Exeter United Church, has noticed a feeling of isolation. "We're getting along really well and coping well, but we do miss the companionship of the other teachers," McConnell says. "The principal (Al Taylor) has been really good too. He's been com- ing over on a regular basis to make sure that we don't feel left out." McConnell notes that the children are dealing with the situation. "We're really pleased with the way the kids are handling it," she says. "I think they've adapted really well but I imagine that it has affected them the same way it has affected us." McConnell heaped praise on the members of the United Church for their co-operation in the situation. Co- operation seems to have become the common denominator in the public school situation. Over-all, McConnell has found the beginning of the 1987-88 school year to be a good experience. With few sup-. plies, she and her colleagues have to be innovative. "We have nothing. We've lost everything we ever made. We have no textbooks," McConnell adds. "I think it really shows .what you can do when you have to." in grade seven, you could sort of move up," he adds. He sees the experience as a positive one. "It will be good for when we go.to high school because we'll know how to get around. We won't feel so left out when we get to high school. We'll feel more confident," Derek says. His class -mate Linda also seems to be enjoying herself, though she throws a different light on the subject. "It's kind of confusing because all of the high school ( kids) are mingling around and there are two floors," she says. It's just not right. It's not usual. You go down to the church where the other people are and you see the church with their little black boards -- it's just weird -- out of the ordinary." The grade seven and grade eight classes have been kept together, but they now follow the rotation system in a four-day cycle instead of a five- day cycle. e "They won't be able to set up regular class rooms; they won't be able to put up bulletin .boards to .display our. work," Linda paints out. For her, the ruinous condition of the school is heart-rending. "I'm proud of my school," Linda explains. "I've been there for eight LINDA SNELL GAVIN POOLE school spirit years now. It's like Mr. Chapman ( former principal at the school) said -- I feel like part of me is gone." . Rec ('entre *different' At the South Huron Rec Centre, ap- proximately 200 students are divided into five classes, encompassing grades one through four. Lisa McDonald, Gavin Poole and Stephanie Pearson are grade four students. Brian Hayman is in grade three. All four children have adapted easily to their new surroundings. though they would like to get back to normal as soon as possible. "It's very different and you can't talk as loud as you can in a regular school," says Lisa, who doesn't like the close quarters. "I like the or- dinary school a lot better." For Gavin, it's the playground situation which bothers him. "It's really crowded in the morning because alt the kids that go to the churches catch the bus here. It's hard to find a place to park your bike." "Now I have a better place to play baseball though," Gavin notes, refer- ring to the Rec 'Centre baseball diamonds. Brian misses the regular trappings .of a school room: "There isn't as much stuff on the walls -- stuff like that," he says. The four agree that both the teachers and the students are handl- ing the situation well, though books and supplies are short and space is. cramped. Asked why things were run- ning so smoothly in the students' ranks. Gavin offered: "They know that they all have to co-operate because we're all in pretty tight." Like their grade seven counter- parts, the four students expressed their concern over the out -break of fires. "Whenever I go to bed .I sleep closest to the window, so if they guy comes...," Gavin admits. "If a fire starts in my room, I don't know how I'll get out," adds Lisa. -Brian was surprised that such events could occur in Exeter. "I didn't think there could be anything happening in Exeter because it's such a small town." Stephanie, who says that the Rec Centre stay is going to stick with her for a while, explains that she is going to record her experience. "I haven't put it my diary yet, but tonight I definitely will," she says. Gavin agrees that the first month of the 1987- school year is something to remember. "I'm going to remember this for a long time." he says. "This is going to go down in the history of Exeter." Board of Education report As Trustees are aware through the Chair's letter dated August 28, much activity has ensued to provide the least disruptive commencement of the school year for pupils attending both of these schools. • The following ma'fters will be of interest: Usborne Central Public School 1. All classes for Usborne Central will resume on-site in a cleaned and par- tially redecorated building. 2. The extensively damaged Kindergarten room will have been stripped, cleaned, and 'sealed' awaiting further assessment for structural damage. Interim roof deck repairs will proceed immediately. The adjacent heat and smoke - damaged Grade One classroom will have been cleaned, 'sealed', and re- painted before September 08. 3. All ceiling tile suffering smoke damage have been replaced. Hallways,' ventilation systems, and other building features affected by smoke damage have been chemical- ly treated and restored to former condition. 4. Steps have been taken to ensure the availability of furniture, supplies, and other equipment to permit the Kindergarten and other classes to resume in an efficient and meaningful manner. 5. The school office is being cleaned. 'sealed', and re -painted. Exeter Public School 1. Alternate locations for all classes have been established in the Com- munity Centre, three church halls (Anglican, Pentecostal, and United). and the. South Huron District High School. The bus contractor has volunteered services to transport pupils to and from the Pentecostal Church facility on Highway 4 South at the edge of Exeter. This information has been widely publicized through the print and elec- tronic media serving the Exeter community. 2. Furniture, equipment, and supplies have been gathered through salvage from the school, other area schools, and short term rental. 3. Teachers and support staff. have been working daily under the direc- tion of the principal and vice-principal since the morning of August 28 to assist with salvage efforts, to take in- ventory to confirm losses. and to com- plete arrangements for classes in the alternate locations. 4. Extensive smoke damage has caus- ed the loss of a significant inventory - of teaching materials. In some cases. teachers have lost a lifetime collec- tion of personal resources and related program materials. 5. Book damage is extensive in all areas with the exception of the library. Rather than replace the 10.000 item library card file, con- - sideration will be given to com- puterizing the :catalogue for the collection. '6. All loose paper materials throughout the school are non- salvageable. 7. The school records ( registers, OSRs, . and permanent student records) have been saved. Many will • require replacement using photocopy or microfiche techniques. 8. The extent of structural damage in the central core of the building re- - mains to be determined. Roof deck repaifs are proceeding immediately. It is anticipated that load-bearing walls will require sone re -building particularly in the upper 1 metre sec- tion. Interior, non -load-bearing walls in this section of the building will be subject to complete demolition. SCHOLASTIC SOUNDS — Music teacher Joan Perrie leads a class of grade 5 students through o music lesson in a corner of Exeter United Church. FOUR GRADES IN ONE Grades one through four ore set up at the South Huron Rec Centre. Classes partitions. are divided by portable 1