By Colleen Flanagan, Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows News
A recent fire at a Hornby Island elementary school hit close to home for a teacher in Maple Ridge.
Michele Neale, a Grade 1/2 teacher at Glenwood elementary, heard about the fire while watching Vancouver Island news at home.
Neale, who was raised on Vancouver Island and whose family has summer homes on Hornby Island, said that’s why the event stood out to her when it came on the television.
“In a small community like on Hornby Island, the school is more than just a school, it’s your community centre, it draws people together, it’s devastating for an island,” said Neale about why she decided to talk about the event in her classroom during the first week of school.