Friday, April 24, 2015

ALPINE SCHOOL DISTRICT . . . CELEBRATING 100 YEARS



The Alpine School District is 100 years old!
AMAZING!
That means my Grandpa and Grandma Mitchell were
going to school when the district was established!
Grandpa at American Fork.
Grandma at Lehi.

Renae and I went to the celebration.
It was at Orem High School, and was pretty cool.
It was like a Hollywood premiere.
They had red carpet laid out.
They had BIG stuff for VIPs in the district...of which
teachers weren't included!
We saw a separate entrance for them.
Too bad the opportunity wasn't given for anybody
to buy dinner!
Typical.
There was a big black curtain separating the
VIPs from the rest of the "little people."
(We could see from the side, on way to the bathroom,
decorations, and the Lone Peak Orchestra serenading.)


They had studentbody officers there from each high school.
When we walked in the door, they asked for our invitation.
I showed them my (online) ticket.
They said I needed an invitation.
What?  I told them to look closely at my paper.
It's what was available!
They also were taking pictures.
Asked the studentbody officers about it.
They said it was only for the VIPs.  Bleh.
I thought teachers were the REAL VIPs.
Apparently not.

At the beginning of the program, they had
a cool slideshow.
Every school was pictured in one slide.
They had a picture of Renae's dad!

The national anthem was sung by a double quartet
of male administrators.
My former principal, Karl Bowman, was one of them.
They were really good!

They acknowledged 4 superintendents.
Dr. Cox, Dr. Baugh, Dr. Henshaw, and interim superintendent, Gary Keetch.
(Dr. Cox was controversial)

They also recognized Garth Seastrand (the man who
hired me...and brother of my 1st grade teacher, Selma Miller)
age 90, and his son, Gary.
Also, Superintendent Baugh's father, 95, and
a granddaughter that works in district office.
Can't remember if he was in district office or on school board.
One big missing person???
Uncle Cecil, 95!   With his son, James, who retired
last year from being a big wig in district.
An obvious miss!!!

They did a lot of recognizing of people that were there,
and had people stand if it pertained to them.
It was current or past:
Civic Leaders (saw Mayor Hadfield)
School Board members
Administrators
Support Personnel (secretaries, bus, custodians, lunch ladies)
Parents of children who attended district schools
Students
Let's see...who was left out???
The most important of all...TEACHERS!!!
Typical.
(And on Facebook, with the article from the Herald,
they let them know that teachers were left out!)

But, I was excited most about seeing the video!
I had been asked to be interviewed for it...a retired
teacher, who had also been a student in the district.
I think I was asked because my last principal, Cami,
was on the committee.
(I'm guessing)

I even did a blog post about it, I was sooo excited!
http://missmitchellsfabulousfifthgrade.blogspot.com/2015/03/and-oscar-goes-to.html
(I don't know how to put a link, with the word "here"...so I'll
just have to click on the link to read the post.)

I waited, and waited, and waited to see my stellar performance!
Nope.
Wasn't included.
Zip.
Nothing.
Nada.
Ended up on the cutting room floor.
I wish they hadn't told me I would be on the video!!!
I had told several people...so it was quite embarrassing.
The other bad thing about the video, no names of the 
people talking.  
It would have been nice to know who they were, and
their position.  Also, even just a first name of
the kids they talked to, and their school.
Like Luana Searle, Garth Seastrand, etc.
Of course, Rhonda Bromley and Rob Smith,
the MCs, who were shown over and over...you could
figure them out!!!
Oh, well.

Those kids graduating this year will get the
special 100 year logo on their diploma.
I graduated in the Bicentennial (200 years, 1976)
of the USA.
We didn't get anything on our diploma, but...good ol' AF High was thinking!
(It was really my class, cuz we voted on it!)
We had a Liberty Bell with the number 76 on it on our tassel,
and a Minuteman on the announcement.
Instead of saying,
 "In the year of our Lord,
one thousand, nine hundred and seventy-six,"
(is that even politically correct today?)
to
"In the year of the Bicentennial of the 
United States of America, 
one thousand, nine hundred and seventy-six."

They had treats that some classes from high schools that are 
learning to cater.

My favorite part was the stars on the floor...like
the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
They had the name of the school, and the year.

Here are my stars:

1st & 2nd grade
My dad and his dad attended this school.
My grandpa would have been at the school when it opened!
Named after Leonard E. Harrington, first bishop and mayor
of American Fork.

3rd-6th Grades.
Because the 4th-5th grade wing wasn't completed until
November, the 3rd graders got to work in the lunchroom.
I was the first lunch worker!
Then, school was K-5 . . . elementary
6-8 . . . jr. high
9-12 . . . high school
The next year, it changed to K-6. 7-9. 10-12.
Named after George F. Shelley, who donated the land.
Renae's grandpa and Lynnell's great grandpa!

7th-9th grades.
The building was where my dad went to high school.
The AF Rec Center stands there now.
This date really surprised me!
Dad said that the old part of building was the high school,
and the newer part was the jr high when he went there.
Dad graduated in 1946.

10th-12th grades.
Loved my high school years!!!

There are no more naming schools after people or communities.
(Forbes, Greenwood, Harrington, Shelley, Barratt)
Glad I was in the era when you could!

Favorite principal, David Stephenson, above
the Alpine School, 1899, star.
Wrong date.
1899 was when the 2nd school was built.
The first school in Alpine was in the early 1850s.
My classmates from Alpine were in 2nd grade when
they moved from the old school to the current location.

Alpine Elementary.
50 years at current location.
Taught 5th grade here from 1980-2013.
LOVED, LOVED, LOVED MY TIME THERE!!!

Program



I absolutely LOVED my years as a student and teacher
in the Alpine School District!
I loved their celebration!
(Just felt a little disrespected with VIP treatment for some...teachers
should have been treated as VIPs!  Not recognizing teachers to stand,
and being cut out of the video.)

Granite School District was always the largest district in the state.
But now, with the new communities of Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain,
Alpine is now the biggest district in the state!
The new communities are growing soooo fast!
I always compare Saratoga Springs to Alpine.

Alpine:
Established 1850
2 elementary schools
1 middle school

Saratoga Springs:
Established 2000
5 elementary schools
1 middle school
1 high school
And more elementaries being built.

I ordered a book for me, Reid, Renae, and Ann Searle.
Can't wait to pick them up!



Thank you, 
for 100 Years of Educating Studentsin the Alpine School District!!!





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