It began on the morning of Saturday, December 10, when Sturgis West mathematics teacher Truc Bui discovered a “waterfall” of sorts inside Sturgis West. She immediately informed Leighton Robinson and Steve DeTora, who shut off the water main and called the Barnstable Fire Department and Disaster Specialists. After examining the infrastructure, it was determined that an irrigation pipe inside the school had burst, causing the inundation of Sturgis West. With extensive damage, the building was suddenly unsafe and unfit for classes. The Sturgis Facebook page officially announced the following day that “both Sturgis East and Sturgis West will be closed tomorrow (Monday, 12/12)... [due] to a pipe bursting at Sturgis West over the weekend.”
“While the accident appears to have caused significant damage and will require no small amount of creativity and ingenuity on the part of our faculty and students, we are fortunate that the aforementioned community members responded as quickly and fully as they did.” (Paul Marble’s Message to Faculty on Sunday, December 11) | |
On Tuesday 12/13, Sturgis West students drove to Hyannis, took their seats, and learned lessons from the teachers. Everything was back to normal… sort of. Each “classroom” was separated via long curtains, “lockers” were one long hallway, and students were no longer in Sturgis West. However, the resilient community of Sturgis did not skip a beat! Classes remained productive, students remained organized, and Sturgis SouthWest became their home away from home up for the nine school days until Christmas vacation! “It’s amazing to see how you have made the most of this space, to see our students so focused so quickly as you continue to provide them with the same high quality of instruction they experience every day.” (Email from Jenn Kirk to West Faculty on December 13)” | (Above) Sturgis carefully planned the locations of each "room" at the HRCC |
On January 3, Sturgis West students returned to their familiar school in much better shape than it had been before. They re-assimilated to the familiar hallways, lockers, and traditions, as they successfully weathered the storm. However, the next tempest may arrive sooner than they think; on February 9, Sturgis West boys and girls basketball go up against Sturgis East and the Sturgis Storm at the HYCC!