Horrific Fire Valley View School

As many of you are aware, on Friday, October 25 at approximately 7:00 p.m., the Valley View School community was confronted with an almost surrealistic nightmare in the form of a horrific fire which destroyed a major dormitory, student lounges, kitchen and dining-theater room. Although a large amount of personal possessions were lost, because of the very rapid and attentive response of the staff, all boys were evacuated with no injuries.

We express our heartfelt thanks to the North Brookfield Fire Department for their competency and professionalism as well as well as the incredible offering of support and assistance from so many individuals and community organizations. The latter included the provision of meals, emergency supplies, bedding and needed clothing .

We were further touched by the level of emotional support which our community received from all over the nation from former students and their families as well as many educational consultants and others who have been long standing advocates of our work.

We can do no less than count our blessings for having such a committed and emotionally involved staff, who while "shook up" by a traumatic and intrusive event all pitched in and worked together to maximize the feeling of physical and emotional safety and security for our youngsters. This has involved a total investment of the staff to create a sense of organization and order out of potential confusion. This involved making sure that there was a clear framework, that there remained a sense of structure, allowing as much "normalcy" as possibly along with the ability to still experience some fun. One staff member described two continuous days of emotional rebuilding as producing the feeling that the environment is "as strong as strong can be".

Because all of our academic facilities, temporary dorm space, gymnasium etc. survived undamaged, we were unequivocally committed to remain open while we rebuild. In short, classes resumed normally for all on Monday, October 28.

Life would be far more comfortable without having to deal with all of challenges of rebuilding a large chunk of the campus to which we have become emotionally attached for many years. Since that's not the reality, we have grounded ourselves in the belief that adversity provides an opportunity (if used properly) for even greater strength and resiliency.

We look forward to the opportunity of a seamless transition toward the next chapter of a still more effective Valley View School - not in a way different from following our professional mission but in a physical environment that is modern and efficient in the use space, energy, perhaps physical comfort, and certainly more fireproof .

It is almost a strangely almost symbolic omen that we managed to save the large circular carved wooden crest, indeed the symbol of Valley View, which hung in the newly remodeled but now defunct lounge. While somewhat tarnished by the smoke and soot in the room, it was already suggested that it be kept this way and hung in the future new lounge as a symbolic relic of our past history.

We remain thrilled with the level of positiveness that has been fused under tough circumstances- a pulling together of our great staff, so many out there in the community and most of all the boys themselves. May God continue to bless us all.

Phil Spiva

Rick Bulger