Nov. 9, 2004 — For the students attending school throughout the territory, Tuesday may have been like any other school day. However, for the more than 900 students of the Addelita Cancryn Junior High School, Tuesday was anything but ordinary.
Tuesday was the first day of school for the Cancryn students since a fire raged on their campus Nov. 3 devouring several classrooms in its wake.
Principal Yvonne Pilgrim said Tuesday attendance was high and the students were willing to cooperate. However, the staff had to deter some students whose curiosity led them too close to the remnants of what used to be their classrooms.
"We were able to reassign the classes that were damaged in the fire," Pilgrim said.
Pilgrim said they are currently awaiting textbooks to replace the ones that were destroyed in the fire.
"We just want to continue the learning process," Pilgrim said.
On Friday, Gov. Charles Turnbull issued a proclamation to speed up the procurement process for the purchasing of the needed materials for the school. (See "Educators Get Update on Cancryn, Kean and Web site ").
Pilgrim said the police have not yet indicated the cause of the fire, but an investigation is ongoing.
"It is sad that individuals would seek to destroy school property and get in the way of our children's education," Pilgrim said.
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