St. Monica Catholic School rebuilding stronger after derecho storm

Nearly one year after the derecho storm tore through Nepean’s Pine Glen neighbourhood, staff at St. Monica Catholic School says they are building back together.

The school on Merivale Road was heavily damaged by the May 21 storm. Part of the roof was torn off, and dozens of trees fell. The gym was deemed unsafe and was closed for months.

"There have been a lot of challenges, but luckily our staff have been incredible, and our board has been incredible, so we have just been trying to communicate," Principal Kristen Charles said.

"The community has also been incredible."

Charles says it has been a year of trying to communicate updates on construction, working with construction teams, and maintaining as much normalcy for students as possible.

"One day something would be open and then the next day it would be closed, and the students have showed so much resilience through this because they are the ones it affects the most, and we couldn’t have done this without the staff," Charles said.

The roof of St. Monica School on Merivale Road was damaged by Saturday's severe weather. (Peter Szperling/CTV News Ottawa)

After months of repairs and adjustments for students, the new gym opened on Feb. 13 and the hallway was finished on April 24.

"It means everything to have a hallway and a gym! We are really lucky because the school is going to be better at the end of the day, and we are really excited," Charles said.

Grade 1 student Sami Guilbault is thankful she is able to go back into the gym and play games like dodge ball.

"It is just so much fresher, and it reminds me of kindergarten and how much fun I was having," she says.

While the gym was closed, students took physical education classes outside. The school also arranged for students to take workshops and field trips including skating, forest school and rock climbing.

There were also major repairs to a hallway that connected two main parts of the school. Classrooms had to be moved to portables and the schoolyard lost dozens of trees.

Students at St. Monica Catholic School on Merivale Road play dodge ball in their gym that underwent massive repairs following the derecho storm last May. (Leah Larocque/CTV News Ottawa)

Delaney Frias is in Grade 6 and she says it was difficult to adjust to the conditions.

"Since we were in the portable to get the other end of the hallway we had to go outside, under scaffolding, all the way to the library and back inside. The routines and everything were different, it was a bit scary."

The school was built in 1956. 

Giulia De Rosa teaches at the school. She says the past year has been a lesson in the power of Mother Nature and community.

"It was tough, but we did it!" she says.

"There were times when big feelings came back, especially if a big storm cane through, they would say, 'Oh no! Is it happening again?' But we had help and we were able to talk through it and the kids have come through," De Rosa says.

De Rosa says students have become appreciative of their community at the school.

"When you are isolated in your classrooms and you can’t gather for assemblies or for liturgies or celebrations, you really feel it. Once you are able to join again in the gym, you really feel it. We were so happy; we appreciate the small things!"

Heather Pennington's two sons go to St. Monica. She says she is thankful for the work the staff did to make students feel safe and happy.

"It is amazing what a 10-second windstorm can do to a child’s sense of safety, but the team here has been incredible. Doing extra to make this a safe space and place kids are excited to come back to," Pennington said.

"They have done just an incredible job making it as regular and safe and enjoyable for the kids as possible."

There is still some work to at St. Monica's school, including finishing repairs to the roof. Upgrades inside the school are scheduled for the summer.