Thanks for the memories

Monroe Tens of thousands of people have passed through the halls of the North Main school building during its first 100 years as they worked their way through Monroe-Woodbury’s educational system and into their adult lives. Here’s a sampling of the memories area residents have: n I guess North Main was my true destiny’ In 1947 I was offered my first teaching position in the North Main K-12 building. I didn’t take it because I live in Middletown and didn’t know how to drive at the time. I guess North Main was my true destiny. I am still in touch with some of my old North Main family, 23 years after I left. The North Main Street Elementary School originated in 1969 without a building. Two weeks before school started, we were told to move to old Central Valley and the Highland Mills buildings. The junior high was still at North Main because the high school wasn’t ready. This was the year of great moves. The high school moved into what is now the middle school on Feb. 2, 1970; the junior high moved into the building on Route 32 on Feb. 9; and the following Monday, we moved into the original North Main Building from Highland Mills and Central Valley. Kindergartens and first grades were at Pine Tree. Evelyn Isseks, North Main principal from the late 1960s to mid-1980s n The close sense of community’ The most memorable thing about North Main is the close sense of community. As a student, the building had very few walls and dividers (even less than we have today). It created a warm and friendly environment. The principal had such a caring and enthusiastic personality. The sentiments carried throughout the building and the feeling became contagious. It is that feeling in a school that makes the students want to go everyday and take part in their learning. North Main is a special place and I am lucky to be able to teach here today. It is a feeling that is still alive and one that makes me want to stay here for years to come. Kerry Scheetz Murray, current North Main Elementary teacher who attended the school for first through sixth grades from 1983 to 1988 n Learning about undertaking and being part of a feature film I think when I was about eight or nine we would walk home from North Main I do remember those walking home games - if you step on a crack you break your mother’s back - or the variation - if you step on a crack you break Hitler’s back. We had an English teacher at North Main, and this was in high school, his name was Mr. Van Orsdale. He had taught the cadets at West Point. We enjoyed his class with his many stories that he would tell about his other profession - he was an undertaker and had his own business. So at times he would take off for a funeral and we would not only learn English, but also about the undertaking business. Growing up on the 40s and 50s was a transition period from radio to TV. One of those radio programs that we listened to was “The Life of Riley,” starring William Bendix. And one of his characters was a man called Digger O’Dell, the “friendly undertaker.” Therefore it was a natural for us students to give Mr. Van Orsdale the nickname of “Digger O’Dell.” In 1948 when I was eight or nine, they made part of a movie in Monroe for RKO/Pathe’ called “Funny Business.” It was about the comic strips in the papers. The reason it was made in Monroe was because director/cameraman Larry O’Reilly was a member of our community. A number of shorts where filmed in Monroe mainly for the “This is America” series. The most famous of the shorts was” Letter to a Hero,” filmed here and including North Main Street School in 1943. I was in a small portion of the film that was done in the school. I remember Larry had approached my parents and asked if I could get some of my friends to also be in the film. We were filmed reading the comics at our desks in a classroom. I remember we each received a religious comic book for our acting. Jim Nelson, a member of the Monroe Historical Society who attend North Main during the 1940s. n They were all dedicated teachers’ It was all good memories. I’m still in the same house that I was born in, and I always walked to school and came home for lunch. We had wonderful teachers and they were all dedicated teachers. In those days, a teacher couldn’t be married. When I was in the lower grades, the teachers were usually maiden ladies or young girls just out of college. Mary Lewis of Monroe, Class of 1936 n Thursday was hot dog day I was a walker. The first person I would see every day was Bill Mack, the crossing guard. One of the reasons I became a teacher was that I had such fond memories. Now I’m a crossing guard for North Main and nothing more than a crossing guard, but it’s such a privilege to be there. My mother and aunt were teachers there. During World War II, my aunt was an airplane spotter. Most of the teachers were at one point. She would take time from her teaching to go up to the roof of the building and sit in a small little shed-like building on top of the roof watching for enemy planes. We always had hot dogs on Thursdays and I always bought lunch on those days. And I still like hot dogs to this day. At one point, a complete hot lunch was only 25 cents. Some of the other items on the menu were chicken chow mein, spaghetti and meatballs and always fish on Fridays. Jean Hansen of Monroe, Class of 1956 and current crossing guard n It was definitely the best of times’ My husband and I started kindergarten in the fall of 1951 and were part of the first class to begin school under the centralization of the new Monroe-Woodbury Central School District and go on to graduation in 1964. Most of us were born in 1946. We were the baby boomers (1946-1964) and didn’t even know it. It was definitely the best of times. Ed went on to become our class president and we were both named as the kids that did he most for Monroe-Woodbury. I began in Miss Emily Goodfellow’s kindergarten. It is ironic that one day another teacher had a dental appointment and her class had to come in to our room - cots and all - for nap time. I will never forget this big kid who was jumping on his cot. It looked like so much fun, so I tried it. My cot broke and I was punished by having my cot turned so the head of it was in the closet. Sandy Leonard, Town of Monroe supervisor n Knowing every kid in your class by name ’ When I was in second grade and having both brothers in the same building - one in kindergarten and the other a big sixth grader ... sneaking off to “Zoolie’s” to buy penny candy at lunch time learning to square dance from Mr. Justin Sharin being driven to school on busses with numbers like 3, 8 and 10 playing kick ball in the alley between the gym and the cafeteria and softball down on the tennis court along North Main Street knowing every kid in your class by name and probably where they lived. Ed Leonard, Monroe, who along with wife Sandy attended in the 1950s and were members of the Class of 1964