Classes resume for students of fire-ravaged Wyncote Academy

CHELTENHAM, Pa. (WPVI) -- It felt like the first day of school at Wyncote Academy's new temporary location of Gratz College.

A fire devastated their school over the weekend and it still remains a crime scene since investigators believe it was intentionally set.

Nearby Gratz College offered the use of an unused building, its former Melrose Academy facility in Melrose Park, and community members rushed to get the building ready for classes Wednesday morning.

On Wednesday morning, the student body of about 65 sang happy birthday to a classmate in their makeshift lunchroom as teachers and staff brought food into their new cafeteria.

Students along with their parents got a tour of the new building.

This week they received donations of furniture and paper from the Impact Thrift Store group and WB Mason.

"We still don't have computers, phones, books, so anything learning that is going on, teachers have printed off the internet; essentially we have nothing," President Kerry Leraris said.

Fire ripped through the Wyncote school Saturday, destroying the stone building built in 1885.

The school began using the building in 1973.

Most of the students come here because they have struggled elsewhere.

Many are college bound.

Herbert Melendez's son Michael is one of the student's and is grateful for a place to learn until at least the end of the school year

"Yeah, we're missing a building, but we're not missing what makes Wyncote Academy which are those teachers and that principal," Herbert said.

Parents tell Action News that this temporary location actually isn't that bad because this campus is only about 2 miles away.