Memories of School Days

Here are some more of the shots I took around my home town when I was up there a couple weeks ago. This post will focus on the schools – but, before I get into that part: Billy Liggett’s editorial in this morning’s Herald about how looking back on high school yearbook photos can be quite laughable prompted me to think that it would be a nice touch to this post if I offered up what I looked like in high school to put the shots of the schools into perspective. So – I scanned in a couple of photos that show you just that — and, personally, I don’t think they are that laughable, but they definitely reflect the time period! he-he-he Here you go:

The first one is my Senior Picture – the one that was included in the 1974 Chevron – Albion Central School’s Yearbook. As Billy mentioned in his editorial, the typical hair for girls in the 60s and early 70s was long and straight – I was no exception! My hair was so long and thick that when I pinned it up on top of my head, it would make my neck sore and give me a headache!!!

The next one was one year earlier — I had just won first place in a dramatic speaking contest — The Isaac S. Signor Prize Speaking Contest, which is an annual event for Juniors – the one I won was in 1973. I performed a one-act monologue play called “The Button”, in which I played a man in solitary confinement for murdering his cell mate and his subsequent dive into insanity (of course, throughout the play, my waist length hair was up under a gray ball cap – I was supposed to be a man – not a teen aged girl!).

And last, but not least, here I am ready for a date on my 16th birthday in October 1972, wearing a typical halter style dress, silver cuff bracelet and my long blond 70s hair! The roses in the background were from my boyfriend for my birthday. And, look at those curtains!!!! Mom – what were you thinking???? ha-ha-ha Actually, they were quite pretty and stylish at the time!!!Now on to the schools! Albion is a much, much smaller town than Sanford, so the need for multiple schools in each grade range isn’t necessary and some of the “old” schools are still being used. The current schools in use today are all located together in a row – first the Elementary School, then the High School, and then the Middle School – with sidewalks connecting them all together. Here are the schools that I attended and their current use today:

The Primary School – known today as Elementary School – had grades K-3 when I went there – it now houses grades K-5. I regret I didn’t get a better shot of it, but here it is anyway – it is located just beyond the trees!

When I was in school, grades 4-6 attended the Grammar School (or also known at the time as the Academy School). This was a huge old building that was no longer used as a school not long after I stopped going there. It was renovated a few years back into apartments and I see that it is being renovated again now to be used for county or village offices or something like that – not sure, exactly. Whatever it is being used for, it is great to see that they are continuing to find uses for an incredible historic structure – which, by the way was constructed of Medina Sandstone, like the churches and other structures that I spoke about in my previous post. I actually only attended 4th grade there. In the middle of my 5th grade year, we moved out of town and I transferred to Waterport School for part of the 5th grade and all of the 6th grade. This was also part of the Albion Central School District, but was a smaller school in the community of Waterport for grades K-6. When I say it was a small school – I do mean small – each grade only had ONE classroom and ONE teacher and less than 20 students in each. I didn’t get a picture of the Waterport school, but it is no longer a school, either. It was turned into an apartment building and I think it is standing empty now – not sure of that, though.

After the 6th grade, everyone in the school district went to what was then the High School. It held classes for grades 7-12. I attended this school through the 11th grade. It was rich in history and a great building – my Mom also attended high school and graduated from this school. It is still in use today, but is now the Middle School with grades 6-8 only. That change was made beginning the year I was a Senior, so I actually graduated from the next school I will talk about. For now, here is what is now known as the Middle School, but will always be known as the “old high school”.

I was part of the first graduating class from the NEW high school. It was open for classes for grades 9-12 at the beginning of the 1973-74 school year. Our school mascot was the Purple Eagle and we were all proud to were the colors of purple and white to show our school spirit!!!! Maybe that is why I still love purple!!!! During the summer after my Junior year, all of us rising Seniors created a “chain” between the schools to transfer books from the old library to the new library and other things that needed to be moved – it was a really cool sight!!! Here are a couple shots of the high school that still houses grades 9-12, just as it did when I attended and graduated in 1974!I took these pictures on Memorial Day. When I got there, they were just finishing up a Memorial Day ceremony. The Purple Eagles Marching Band was playing, but by the time I got close enough to get a picture, they were “marching” from the Middle School (where the ceremony was held) back to the High School. So, I could only get a photo of them in marching formation – but, I did get some pics!!! The pics of the band also show some additional shots of the Middle School (old high school), which includes some additions that have been made over the years.This is a shot of a monument dedicated to Vietnam veterans – it reads: “A lasting tribute to the patriotism and courage of the men and women who served our country in Vietnam.” The Memorial Day ceremony was held around this monument and it is located in front of the flag pole in front of the Middle School.

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