Operation HOPEwell: A Colossal Community Lift
Operation HOPEwell: A Colossal Community Lift
Teamwork makes the dream work.
Following a fire over Labor Day weekend that temporarily displaced the 500-plus students and staff who call Hopewell Junior School home, this adage rang more true than ever. In just one week - all while administrators and teachers rallied to continue providing remote instruction to Hopewell students - building and district leaders managed to move an entire school to their generous neighbors at West Chester Nazarene Church. It was a community-wide labor of love that quickly took on the name “Operation HOPEwell.”
“You just get creative and dig in,” said Hopewell Principal Jeff Rouff, who worked tirelessly alongside his assistant principal, Blake Cripe, to tackle the monumental task.
Rouff acknowledged that continuing virtually for what ended up being three weeks of the most intense restorative repairs to the building would have been easier. But for him and the rest of the Lakota team deciding the next move, that wasn’t an option.
“Our staff had only seen our kids 12 times (this school year) before the fire,” Rouff pointed out, reiterating the need to return to in-person learning as soon as possible. He described an away volleyball game that he attended the weekend between the fire and students’ return to school. “They just flocked to us. They were dying to see us and talk to us,” he recalled.
That “do whatever it takes” mindset drove the herculean lift that, in just a week’s time, transformed the church into a school complete with 12 “traditional” classrooms, including a band room (pictured at right) and gymnasium that doubled as classroom space to accommodate other core classes and electives throughout the day. A completely rearranged bell schedule, paired with a creative use of the church’s sanctuary for more independent work in between classes, allowed students to participate in every one of the classes filling their regular schedules.
“I’m so impressed with our staff. We’ve always been able to come together and this situation was no different,” said teacher Tracey Parks, noting Hopewell’s regular team-based approach to serving their students.
The examples of cross-district support and teamwork were boundless, too. The revamped space included a kitchen and cafeteria for breakfast and lunch augmented by equipment and supplies delivered by Lakota’s Child Nutrition staff. With the help of Lakota’s nursing team, the school nurse set up a clinic complete with student medications and other necessary supplies. A makeshift main office in the entry included work spaces for support staff, as well as a dedicated phone line and printer/copier. Teachers even leaned on teachers from other Lakota schools to help make copies of teaching materials when the copier became overloaded.
System support technicians from other buildings rallied to help set up over 30 MiFis throughout the space to ensure internet connectivity for all student and staff devices. Likewise, innovation specialists district-wide jumped in to support teachers’ instructional needs and also provide additional enrichment activities via the school’s learning management system for students who completed their regular classwork.
“Everyone just took their responsibilities and ran with it,” recalled Officer Mark York, Hopewell’s school resource officer who worked most closely with Petermann Transportation to revamp the school’s arrival and dismissal procedures for the short-term stay at the church. This included the continuation of after-school activity buses and vehicles, as well as buses to transport students who normally walk home back to Hopewell’s grounds at the end of each day.
York was also proud to maintain the school’s regular safety protocols and expectations, noting the special attention given to lock down all entrances and monitor visitor access during the school day using a walkie talkie system. York was especially grateful to have access to the church’s security camera footage.
“[The church] has welcomed us with open arms and we really feel at home here,” York said.
“God blessed us with this awesome facility and this was the perfect opportunity to put it to use,” said West Chester Nazarene Church Pastor Alex Mahaffey, who has a child at Hopewell in addition to three other Lakota schools. “Any time we can meet a need in our community and build relationships, that’s what we’re here for.”
While the church shouldered the largest responsibility, the outpour of community support didn’t stop there. Faith Methodist Community and Crossroads churches contributed tents and tables to help Hopewell manage the drive-thru operation that allowed students and staff to safely retrieve their personal belongings during the days following the fire. Faith Methodist is also providing overflow space for the school beginning Sept. 26 when students and staff return to Hopewell, but still don’t have access to the cafeteria and other spaces still undergoing repairs. Others like the school’s PTSO, Anthem House Church and The Cone have provided meals and special treats to the school community.
Always the voice of positivity, Rouff had this to say about the whole experience. “The hidden advantage to all of this is that we are going to grow closer,” he said.
York affirmed Rouff’s prediction, noting the strong bonds he’d formed with students and staff, alike, throughout the process. And after eight days in their new space, students agreed too.
“We’re doing this as a family and making it work,” said eighth-grader Isabella Nguyen, noting that her classes have continued with things she wouldn’t have expected - like science experiments, art projects and regular gym activities. “We’re doing our best to keep on moving forward and keep things as normal as possible.”
Nguyen and others appreciated the staff’s effort to return to in-person learning. Eighth-grader JJ Smith, for example, actually shared that the whole experience challenged him to pivot and adapt to a new environment.
Others like eighth-graders Sam Nkomezi and Ahmed Osman, both English learners, enjoyed the opportunity to meet and get to know seventh-graders and other teachers they wouldn’t normally interact with. It also taught them a valuable life lesson they’ll take with them. “It taught me not to panic and to stay calm even when things don’t go as planned,” Osman said.
For Rouff, one outcome makes all the extra hours and late night worries worth it. “They’re walking around with smiles on their faces,” he said. “That’s why we do what we do.”
- community engagement