Following the devastating fire of July 29, MWS received donations from 17 Waldorf schools and kindergartens across America. Faculty and Staff, as well as parents and alumni from Canada and schools around the world, also made individual gifts. As an expression of gratitude, MWS sent an open letter of thanks to the members of the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA), as presented here:
On September 29, two months to the day after the devastating blaze that destroyed our school, we returned to our home site to celebrate Michaelmas. It was a beautiful, clear autumn day and the children were excited to explore their favorite play spaces. For many families, it was their first visit to the school since the fire and the empty slab encircled by chain link fence that confronted them brought a poignancy to the festival. It seemed to inspire the students and, as they performed our traditional pageant, their voices were strong and sure. As the forces of heaven and earth united to bring aid to the besieged villagers, we felt a renewed sense of resolve. St. Michael raised his bright sword and the terrible, fire breathing dragon was tamed. The program ended, as always, with a blessing of gratitude and we stood by the cauldron enjoying the community soup as we contemplated just how much we have to be thankful for.
The extraordinary outpouring of support that followed the fire was humbling and all of us at MWS are immensely grateful. We were able to move our school into a former public school building that was already home to a small nursery school cooperative. Their leadership graciously welcomed us to share the property with its bright spacious classrooms and extensive playgrounds. Donations of desks, chairs and blackboards arrived from schools and colleges around Rhode Island. More than 3000 pieces of additional classroom furnishings and equipment were received and curated by MWS community volunteers. Still more arrived by mail including donations of books and toys from other Waldorf schools. We were able to open on time with everything we needed for the school year.
The children have settled into their classrooms and we are becoming accustomed to our new surroundings. While a few minor challenges associated with the transition remain, we are also discovering unexpected joys. For example, while we love our woodland home, new ball games are made possible by the brick walls and asphalt playground, and our older students enjoy being within walking and biking distance of town. Parent volunteers continue to prove invaluable as we re-establish the systems that support the daily life of the school and we are grateful for their patience and grace.
Thankfully our families, including those newly or partially enrolled at the time of the fire, have stuck with us and we have not lost any enrollment from the disruptions of the summer. This is a testament to the power of community and the strength of the Waldorf curriculum. New families were welcomed in and trusted that MWS would recover in time to provide the high quality Waldorf education they were counting on. We are grateful for the moral and spiritual support of our fellow Waldorf schools who also believe that, because Waldorf education works with the essence of the human being, what matters most is our relationships with each other and the world as we perceive it. This shared understanding bolsters our teachers as they seek the unique teaching opportunities our present circumstances offer.
We are moving forward quickly and thoughtfully with plans to rebuild the school. Faculty and Staff, and community members with professional expertise in property development, are working with our architects to design the new building. Fortunately most of the grounds remain undisturbed and we can rebuild from the existing footprint. Before the fire, we had recognized that more space was needed to meet our program needs. Planning for a Community Center as well as enhancements for the Early Childhood classrooms had begun and the new design will draw on this work.
While MWS has insurance to cover the cost of replacing what was lost, the new building will require at least $1.75 million from fundraising. More than $191,000 has been received by Meadowbrook Rising – The Campaign to Rebuild Our School via our GoFundMe page and other gifts have been sent directly to the school. We are especially touched by the kindness and generosity of the Waldorf community. We have received gifts from Waldorf teachers, alumni and schools around the country. We are deeply appreciative of this support that gives substance to the spirit of community that will be woven into our new building. Construction is expected to begin early in 2019 and, if all goes well, we will return the school to its beloved home campus in spring of 2020. We hope we will have an opportunity to welcome you there in the future.
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