“A three-alarm blaze broke out Tuesday afternoon at Our Mother of Consolation School in Chestnut Hill and appears to have completely destroyed the building, according to an official at the site of the fire.

The official compared the swiftness with which the flames swept through the building to the fire that engulfed the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.” The Chestnut Hill Local

Tonight I am feeling sad for the children, parents, and teachers of Our Mother of Consolation School in Philadelphia. A fire broke out shortly after the school was dismissed at 2:45. About 40 children remained at school for an aftercare program but were safely evacuated when a parent of one of those students noticed smoke when she arrived to pick up her child. The building is a total loss. Thankfully the church and convent next door to the school did not sustain any damage.

Teachers pour their heart and soul into their classrooms often spending quite a bit of their own money. It is heartbreaking to think of all the “things” that were destroyed in this devasting fire. I know that things can be replaced, but that doesn’t make it any easier for the teachers involved. And what about the kids? Seeing their school go up in flames is traumatic. What if they left a prized possession at school today?

Our classrooms are like our home away from home since we spend so much time in school. I know how difficult it was for teachers at my school when a tornado ripped off part of our roof and water destroyed several classrooms. Fire takes the devastation to a whole new level.

When I go to school tomorrow it will be with a sense of gratitude for being able to teach in my own classroom. I will be holding the OMC community in my thoughts and prayers as they process what happened today and begin to make plans for their future.