Charlotte O’Brien was the administrator of Meadowbrook Waldorf School from 1998 to 2011. She writes, ‘It was and remains my great honor to have been part of the team that built the school that burned down on Sunday, July 29.’ She writes further about the what was lost that day, and what endures:
I recall vividly the community workshop to site our building where it would perfectly unite the ideals of our community with the land we had been gifted. Every aspect of developing the site and constructing the school building was permeated with meticulous loving care, from our pain at cutting the trees that had to be cleared, to searching for months to find the exact right color for flooring tile that would blend with the range of pastel tones used through the classrooms.
We had a very small budget, too small for our physical and aesthetic needs. Yet on Opening Day, we had a beautiful building of extraordinary qualities inside and out, a gift from the vast crew of community volunteers who donated their skills and time to bring our vision into existence. Meadowbrook had more than 11 wonderful years in that building until a combination of lightning strikes resulted in the devastating fire.
I loved that building deeply, and I am mourning the loss of tangible memories that were embodied in the school. Five stained glass lamps hanging in the lobby, created by five sequential MWS eighth grades during their geometry studies of Platonic solids under the tutelage of Hans Schepker. The walls of the commons room and the corridors beautifully painted by parents and teachers using the lazure technique, led by Robert Logsdon. What fun but seriously hard work that was. Yet, it is not the loss of the building that matters most but the potential loss of history and continuity with the past.
Yes, I loved the building but my greatest pride was in the school community which we built. A community of resilience and integrity, respected within our region and the Waldorf community beyond. A community that has forged ways of working together to through adversity and disagreements. A community that has learned how to invite miracles and capitalize on them when they arrive. Above all a school devoted to nurturing the young with love and wisdom so that they are well prepared to take up their life's tasks in the world.
I have never been more proud than seeing this community meet the fire. The school was burning, yet there on site were my beloved colleagues serving food and drinks to the first responders and fire fighters. Effectively, energetically and lovingly, this community organized itself to meet the immediate practical problems created by the fire, even as they nurtured a vision for the future. Thoughtful soul and caring spirit united in disciplined will. That is our school, still bright and strong.
I have heard the loss of the building called a tragedy, it is certainly a disaster and a massive inconvenience. Yet there are miracles, some loved things survived including the above watercolor painting from my sixth grade class. The glass wasn’t even damaged and it was barely dusty. And this painful event can also be an opportunity. I know a new building will arise from this community, a beautiful new home still dedicated to educating the children of the present and the future. For here, at this school, is answered the hope expressed in the dedication given by the founder of Waldorf education, Rudolf Seiner, at the opening of the first Waldorf school following the catastrophe of the First World War almost 100 years ago.
We are heartened by the generous outpouring of support from around the world. To make a contribution to the school rebuild and recovery, please visit our Meadowbrook Rising Go Fund Me page. Donated goods & services can be offered here or email us at rebuild@meadowbrookschool.com.