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PRIME Editor/Staff writer SPRINGFIELD Ann Denucci Rogalski, owner of Make Way For Ducklings Nursery School and Kindergarten (MWFD) in Springfield, has a lot to be thankful for this November. Her school has survived a fire, and the ensuing disruption that often spells the end of a life's work for a business owner. Her displaced Ducklings students are back in their newly-scrubbed classrooms. And, along the way, she's discovered how many current and former parents and students of MWFD were ready and willing to lend their favorite school a helping hand. Years of work gone in a moment Bethesda Lutheran Church, where the 25-year-old nursery school and kindergarten has been located since 2004, suffered heavy damage when an unattended candle ignited a sanctuary fire late in the afternoon of Oct. 22. By sheer luck the school's secretary, Sue Nizinski, was passing by the church just as flames broke out. She rushed in and rescued the school guinea pig, Munchkin. She was also able to grab the school's first aid kit and student emergency information file. Nizinski also called Rogalski who, with her husband, Bill had left the school only minutes before, having just completed their Sunday afternoon ritual of sanitizing the cafeteria tables in preparation for Monday's classes. But the fire spread so quickly, there was no time to rescue classroom decor, original lesson plans and special projects, nor the recently-replenished school supplies. "We lost 120 boxes of supplies, all the teacher-made things . the hard work of the past 25 years is gone," Rogalski told Reminder Publications during a visit to the school's temporary home at St. Anthony's Church on Nov. 2. Rogalski said she and her team of dedicated teachers transformed the hall at St. Anthony's, know as The Cedars, into a temporary school in two days following the fire. With the help of former MWFD parent Scott Patton, who is the local agent for In Star Restoration service, the hard work of Bethesda's janitor, Keith Hawkins, and countless others, the school was back in most of its original classroom space as of Nov. 6. So many people to thank Rogalski said that so many people had offered the school a helping hand, or donated supplies, or space or time, she was afraid that she'd forget to mention someone. Father David George, pastor of St. Anthony's, was one of the people Rogalski wanted to be sure to thank. "He came over Sunday night (Oct. 22) and offered to have us come here," Rogalski said as we chatted at one of the tables in Cedars hall. "We opened on Wednesday (Oct. 25). I thought that was pretty fast, considering we didn't know what hit us on Sunday night." "We are so grateful to this church for letting us be here," kindergarten teacher Aurora D'Angelo told this reporter during her visit. And Father George was but one of the people Rogalski said came to her school's aide during its time of crisis. "Our Carellas Insurance agent, Bill Carellas, (who himself is a former MWFD parent) left the soccer field and came right over when I called him (Sunday afternoon)," Rogalski said. "He's been here every day." Rogalski said Carellas still had paint on his hands when he arrived; he'd been fixing a goal post on the field when she called to report the fire. He was just one of the current and former Duckling parents that Rogalski told Reminder Publications she wanted to thank. "The Arson inspector was a former parent, some of the firefighters were former parents, the plumber is a former parent . the list just goes on and on," Rogalski said. "If you live in the city of Springfield you should feel very fortunate, " Rogalski continued. "The community just poured in to help." She said Mayor Charles Ryan himself stopped by the night of the fire to show his support to the church and her school. And she had praise and thanks for the efforts of former MWFD parent and City Counselor Timothy J. Rooke, who helped her search for a space the day of the fire and then worked with city inspectors to secure the necessary permits and inspections to allow her school to relocate in the St. Anthony's space so quickly. She also extended thanks to The Community Partnership of Springfield, which sent nurses, occupational therapists and a behavior coordinator to the St. Anthony's site the morning the school reopened. "They came and did programs, helped us hang coats, took kids to the bathroom, whatever they could do to help," Rogalski said. Rogalski also wanted to thank Springfield College, which sent some of its student teachers to St. Anthony's to help out the displaced school. But most of all, Rogalski wanted to thank her dedicated staff, who, she said, "did whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted it," as well as the current MWFD parents, who kept their faith in her school and program through the disruptions. "The kids never missed a beat, the teachers never missed a beat," she said. "On the first day (at St. Anthony's) the parent of one of our Kindergarten students brought in a copy of "Make Way For Ducklings," Rogalski said. "I was so touched." Rogalski also wanted to thank all the other parents who have donated supplies to the school, and asked that anyone who still wishes to help make a monetary donation so the school can re-order specialized materials lost in the fire. The address for the school is 455 Island Pond Road, Springfield, MA 01118. | ||||||
