Cranston teachers back in the classroom after flooding

February 22, 2018 8:22 am

By: Melissa Randall

Twitter: @MRandallABC6

CRANSTON, R.I. (WLNE-TV)— Teachers at Edgewood Highland Elementary have been busy during February vacation. They’ve been putting the finishing touches on their classrooms before students return next week.

The Cranston school has been undergoing renovations after flooding from a burst pipe caused serious damage.

Teacher Dawn Renaud spent a few hours Wednesday organizing books, desk tags and colored pencils. As she looked around the kindergarten room, the memory of what happened came rushing back.

“We were in the middle of class with 41 kindergarten students in here and had to evacuate very quickly,” she said.

Several classrooms were destroyed. In some spots, 4 feet of water was left standing. Crews worked tirelessly over the last 6 weeks to make it happen.

“They worked very hard. The proof is—you can see it. The kids are going to be so excited on Monday,” said Marlene Gamba. “I can’t wait.”

Today the walls are a cheerful yellow. The lockers are buffed out. And classrooms are almost back to normal, with a few new updates including a book nook. The transformation was a labor of love.

“I mean they’re worth it and they’re very excited to be coming back and be with their friends and the place that they know as home. And we’re done with ‘vacation kindergarten’ which is what we called it,” said Renaud.

That other building where they were operating out of, on Norwood Ave, did the job. But the space lacked the personal touches teachers spend years creating. The educators say they are anxious to get back to a learning environment that is more comfortable and inspiring for the little ones.

“I’m lucky that I have such a dedicated staff that we made it through this and now the school’s come back better than ever,” said Gamba. “It’s Edgwood strong.

The school is planning to host a welcome back night to thank everyone for their patience.