Last Visit to Chippewa Junior High

In Foreground, Former, Teacher, Principal and Superintendent, Mr. Andrew Polkadylo talks with construction worker, while former secretary looks on.  Some of the crowd exploring the old buildings.

On Tuesday a large group of former students and staff went back to their childhood, or teenage hood.  We gathered at buildings that once were separate, now connected physically as well as in memory.  The connections and the subsequent change in where the main entrance was located made it difficult for some of us to find our way to old classrooms and favorite places in the building.  For me it was 54 years since I last set foot in those buildings.  We walked carefully for deconstruction had already begun.

Link to VIDEOS OF TIME CAPSULE OPENING, From Port Huron Times Herald 

This link is from the Port Huron Times Herald and may not work for non subscribers.  I think they allow about ten reads a month for free.  

Opening of the final time capsule

Meeting friends from the fifties.  Vicki still looks young!

Sign over entrance

Some of the crowd hanging around remembering

Yours Truly and another student

A good motto. As a former Middle School Teacher, this puts tears in my eyes. 

This used to be the Breezeway between Nokomis and Chippewa I ran down this cement ourdoor hallway to catch the bus when I attended Nokomis.  Looking from Chippewa toward Nokomis

 Entrance to Middle School.  Moved to front of what used to be the breezeway between the two buildings.

I think this is from the middle of what used to be the main entrance to Chippewa, looking toward 32nd Street.  Mrs. Limberg's room is at the end of this hallway.

Room 107,  My old homeroom.  All classrooms in both Nokomis and Chippewa had outside doorways.  Fire drills were a snap.  I see that carpet was added recently.  

Lots of memories in this room  Here is where I sat with my best friend, Marilyn Leonard, and memorized poetry to win some kind of points.  Marilyn was a genius,  literally.  Her academic prowess challenged me to do things like memorize all of those poems, some of which I still remember. 
This was home room for two entire years. 

Inside Room 107, at approximently where my desk was located.  I sat by Marilyn and Karon Anderson.  Other classmates included Carol Fenner, Bob Scheffler, Neil McConnel, Mary Ann Recker, Karen Heath, Patsy Cefseski, Kent Fenner, Sharon Atkins, Sally Short.  I was just trying to see how many names I could remember.  Quite a few.  The teacher's desk was at the front.  I think my sister had Mrs. Limberg too.  I am not sure if I am spelling her name right. 

Mr. Andrew Polkodylo was my ninth grade home room teacher.  Later on he was principal and superintendent of Port Huron Township Schools.  Not sure how that worked after everything was consolidated, but he has been a guiding force in Chippewa having an annual or almost annual reunion for several years each September.  

Mr. Robert Coulter, who was superintendent when I was in Kindergarten was present at the first reunion I attended at Mary Jean Penn's farm in Jeddo, six years ago.  No reunion this year because the movers and shakers of this have their fiftieth this year. 

Breezeway all closed in

 

My old room at Nokomis, seen through the doorway and display case.  I actually worked as a student on displays in that case.  Pretty neat display case.  Easy access.  Cool School from this educators point of view.  I went to 4th, 5th and 6th grades here.  Mrs. Backus, and Mrs. Wright.    (This is the room where we learned to duck and cover for Air Raid drills in the 1950's)  

Doors to the outside made fire drills a snap.  

We ate lunch in this room too, brought in from Chippewa on a steam cart.

Hallway in Nokomis.   I remember it as rather beige looking.  Like this color scheme better.  Remember lining up to use the bathrooms and drinking fountains in these halls.  Also, mud and dust from the playground.  We had a huge playground.  We could play all the way to Indian Trail.  Recess duty must have been a challenge.  Played Duck duck goose, in the winter.  All kinds of tags.  Learned how to play softball and hop scotch, marbles and jacks on that playground, part of which was the breezeway between Nokomis and Chippewa.

I cannot remember which building had the Hiawatha stone, but from the Times Herald article, I am guessing this was the cornerstone for Nokomis Elementary.

Around the corner of Nokomis at some of what was our playground.

Pine Trees on the Left rear are believed to be some of the trees planted by my sister's class, or perhaps trees that sprang from them.  I mean 60 year old pine trees would be pretty old. 

Hard to believe that all of this land belonged to the school.  In the background you can see the football goal posts...  Or are those soccer? 

In background,  Wagensiel  Gymnasium, then vocational building, then end of Nokomis.

This was quite a campus, and if campus means "field" it is a good term.

One of the construction trucks from the company that will take down our old school.  Menards, plans to build a huge Home Improvement and Garden store here. 

One last look at Chippewa with the new entrance where the breezeway used to be.

A photo of my car.  When I drove in here and parked, I realized this was the first time in my life that I drove a car in this parking lot.  

Later on I realized that this parking lot was not the one I remembered from Chippewa.  This was actually the new lot from when they joined the two buildings making one massive campus.

The old lot, I found later and will show you if you read further.

To the left Old Chippewa in front the enclosed breezeway.  Ladies in yard picking plants for souveniers.

The Old front door of Chippewa Junior High School  Clock Tower, without clock in back.

This is a driveway that goes behind the school all the way to Wagensiel Gym.  Chippewa Woods to the left, still giving shade on a very hot sunny day

You can see one of the doors to a Chippewa classroom on the upper right

My car in the parking lot or close to it of the old school

From Indian Trail.  Nokomis, the Vocational Building and Wagansiel Gym

My sister's pine trees...  we think.

A better look at the trees.  Hard to take photo as there was traffic....  When they built the Cut Off, and later I 94 and I 69 some of the trees were sacrificed, according to Mr. Polkodylo  He remembered the planting of the trees.

Sign on Wagensiel Gym

At ages 10-14 I used to climb those stairs to get to the gym and the library and the lounge area housed within....  Didn't think anything of it!!

Back of Vocational building.   Chippewa on the right

Back view of Chippewa

Chippewa Woods, where I first noticed white birch trees and learned that it was not right to peel the paper like bark.  Also saw Trillium in these woods, another special plant.  Also fell into the creek while crossing on a log.

A fond farewell to Chippewa Junior High, and Chippewa Woods next to it.  We were such lucky kids to have spent our "formative" years is such an idylic setting.