Friday, September 27, 2019
Opening a New School
On Thursday evening we attended the official opening of the new Des Moines Elementary School, even though students and staff have been busy there since the first day of the school year on September 4th.
It is a big, beautiful, modern structure, built to replace the historic 1924 school building in the City of Des Moines, WA, located south of Seattle. It was hard for many to say goodbye to the old school, especially for some of these folks.
That's former Principal Charlie Brown and his wife Margaret, our breakfast friend, Dede Heberling, and Tom. Tom and Dede are both former Des Moines kindergarten teachers and Tom also taught PE there. Popping up in the back is our daughter Jill, who is now teaching PE at Des Moines.
Public kindergarten began at Des Moines Elementary in 1966. Jan Anderson, on the left, was the first K teacher, DeDe was the second, and Tom was the fourth. Here they are with the current K teacher, Alison, who is a former student at Des Moines, and part of a large family that all of the former teachers know. Her mother still works there in the office.
Everyone was intrigued with the new "smart board". For those of us who began with black slate chalk boards, this is quite a technological wonder, but we were all wondering if we could ever figure out how to use it. I guess it would take "perseverance".
Jill and I checked out the new "outdoor classroom", as well as prowling all over the new school. It was fun for me to see where she will be working. Des Moines Elementary, in it's several iterations, is a family affair.
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how fun. heard about those fancy boards- think you have print off what's on the board and vice versa. amazing tools but it still takes a caring teacher to make the difference.
ReplyDeleteSo nice to see a new school opening up, and all the ties you and Tom have to it, past and present. :-)
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about what a family affair teaching is for your family as I read this post.
ReplyDeleteNice to see you all still supporting and interested in the school though since teaching seems to be a family profession, Jill keeps you attached. Wonder if her kids will take up the torch?
ReplyDeleteGreat that they made room for the teachers from the past to take part in the opening of the new building.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting event. It is amazing what all they have in schools today and still they say US is lagging behind other countries. There are several teachers in my family. They have built a new school here during the time I have lived here. They are remodeling older grade schools here now. It is good to see.
ReplyDeleteHow totally exciting to see Jill working there in her father's footsteps. It's sad to see the old school go, but totally wonderful to see a modern building take its place where more memories will be made.
ReplyDeleteFun to see all the teachers and that Jill is joining in!:)
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