Ashmont Nursery School is back open in its familiar space on Washington Street and looking to fill some vacant seats. The school had to relocate temporarily after a man— apparently intoxicated— rammed through its wall on the night of Jan. 22. No students or staff were hurt, but the school program was displaced for months— moving down the street to temporary quarters inside the Dorchester YMCA.
“It was definitely really scary. Everyone’s first thought was we were so glad the kids weren’t there and that nobody was hurt,” said Hannah Yarmolinsky, the school’s co-president. The building – on the other hand – was badly damaged.
“We had to rebuild that whole wall, and there was a bunch of water damage because the pipes had burst,” she said. “All the carpets had to be replaced, and basically, the kitchen was destroyed, so we had to rebuild the whole kitchen.” During the closure, the playground and yard were also revamped.
“We were so lucky, there were multiple places that came out and offered us to use their space while the school was under construction,” said Yarmolinsky. “We ended up at the Y, which was awesome. It was right down the street, and it was already a place set up for kids. It was really comfortable, and we felt super thankful to be welcomed there.”
In June, they moved back into the “big red school,” and although the renovated space is beautiful, safety remains a concern. Edna Speller, the school’s director, wants to see stop lights added to the intersection of Washington and Ashmont streets.
“I did notice the other day how it definitely needs lights or something there. I was watching as children from the Y were going across the street. The counselors were in the street making sure the children were crossing safely, but the car was directly on the crosswalk,” said Speller. “You can see a lot that goes on from this window.”
Said Yarmolinsky: “The city had involved us in the planning process. We already had a meeting where we walked through the area. We had representation from the school to talk about not only how we can make the intersection safer not only for the kids at ANS, but for everybody, and especially the kids at Tech Boston and Lee Academy across the street. There are so many kids that cross the street over there.”
Despite their worries, Yarmolinsky and Speller are happy to be back. “As they say, ‘There’s no place like home,’” said Speller. “The Y was nice, the people there were very nice, but it feels good to be back.”
She hopes that some new families will soon call ANS home, too. Families can apply by visiting ashmontnurseryschool.com.
