St. Ignatius kids, staff make joyful return

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/02/2007 (7037 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ST. IGNATIUS School students joyfully celebrated the reopening of their school Tuesday morning, giving thanks in prayer and speeches that no student, teacher or firefighter was injured in last Tuesday’s fire.

All 240 students will take classes in the main building of the school, while repairs continue on four classrooms burned after a ceiling fan fire a week ago.

“What you see here is representative of what our community is,” principal Rick Querat told a packed gymnasium, including dozens of parents along with some of the firefighters and paramedics who rushed to the school at Harrow Street and Corydon Avenue a week ago.

The crowd of kids and parents gave the emergency workers a prolonged and rousing standing ovation.

“Happy endings are always good for us,” district fire chief Brian Somers told the assembly.

Somers lauded the St. Ignatius students and staff on doing an excellent job in evacuating the kindergarten to Grade 8 school.

But Somers also said that he would send home information with the kids so their families could work out their own home evacuation plan.

“I’m going to appoint you all as home fire wardens — don’t take no for an answer,” he said.

The students also got a big boost from the CanWest Raise-A-Reader Initiative, which donated more than 300 books as well as pencils, notebooks and backpacks.

Querat said that he is still awaiting a final report from insurance adjusters. He has said damage is about $500,000, and the damaged section of the school along Jessie Avenue should be ready for classes in September.

“Our main goal is to get back to a normal operation,” said Querat.

On a tour of the school — sparkling clean, without even a hint of residual smoke smell — Querat pointed out a Grade 8 classroom converted in one day into a kindergarten, a science lab converted for science and math classes for Grade 8 students, a Sunday school room turned into the Grade 1 classroom, and a French room that’s now a Grade 2 classroom.

Querat said that he was aware that there has been some talk among parents that the parish was considering not reopening the school after the fire, but he dismissed those as “rumours — it never even came close.”

Grade 3 student Melissa Dreger was clutching the school’s Prayer Bear as she said that she’s been praying for the school: “That it’s back to normal, that our school is normal, and everyone’s safe.”

Said her mother Alison Dreger: “They’re excited to get back.”

Parent Judy Richichi said her kids have been “antsy” during their four days off school.

St. Ignatius means a lot to her family, Richichi said, noting that her husband attended the school.

“I trust them to raise them to be good kids,” she said. “It makes a difference — I’m very proud of what my children have become.”