Wilson Elementary & Junior High School

[richard]

Wilson Elementary & Junior High School memories.

[BobLane]

Richard, some time ago I sent David some pictures of Wilson school he was going to post. I can't get an email through to him. Can you help? Perhaps his bad health was adding too much stress to his life and I don't want to add to that. Bob Lane

[David Sechrest]

Bob Lane, my greatest apologies for taking so long to get your pictures uploaded.

Hopefully, there may be some out there that can provide the names and dates (in some cases). For that reason, I broke up the long rectangular photos into two pieces (for better viewing).

Thanks for providing these pictures. I will get them back to you in the very near future!

[David Sechrest]

Another of Bob Lane's Wilson School pictures:

[David Sechrest]

Another of Bob Lane's Wilson School pictures:

[David Sechrest]

I'm a little confused as to the purpose of Wilson Building. According to the History Of Bartholomew County, Vol. II (page 226), the Wilson Building was completed in 1923 (but not opened until 1929) and was used as a Junior High, but it also notes that elementary school students from Washington School were moved into Wilson (it doesn't say what year).

So, it served as both an elementary and junior high school. Was that the main intent when first conceived?

[BobLane]

Dave, Thanks for posting the pictures. I hope folks out there can identify some of the students. I don’t know the original intent but I know grades 1 to 6 were there, plus 7 and 8 Jr. high. I believe they started phasing out grade school when I was in the 3rd or 4th grade, dropping the lowest grade each year until only jr. high was left. I completed all 8 grades at Wilson. I started 1st grade in Jan. 1941 I think. I understand the classes were divided by birthdays. Those born in the first half on the year were started in September. Those who were born in July or later started school in the following Jan. I have been trying to put together some of my memories of life at Wilson. If they amount to anything I’ll post them later. I do not know the grades the 2nd & 3rd pictures were of. Bob Lane

[katie]

Thanks for telling how they determined when kids went to school. I think I remember being in the 4th grade there and some of the kids were in 4a and 4b,I just thought, they skipped a half a grade because they were smart.

[Babs]

Katie,
As I recall if your birthday was not before some date in December, you had to wait till the following semester to begin school. As mine fell in January, I had to wait so I was in one of those "half classes" you wrote about. (I do recall being told I had missed the cut off date by just a very few days by my mother.)

This policy was only in the city schools as the ones outside the city did not use half grades. After the war ended and we had to move ouside the city I ended up at East Columbus School out on State Street. At that time I was tested and they determined I could be passed on to the 6th grade the following year rather than held back to repeat the half year of 5th grade I had finished at Garfield on Cottage Avenue. Thus I was skipped a half year and missed the second half of my 5th year in school. One drawback to this was that I was always the youngest in my classes and among all my friends they teased me about being the baby.

I'm not sure when Columbus schools did away with these half classes but my guess would be not till sometime later in perhaps even the 50's.

[GUEST]

I don't remember no half yr. classes.But do know you had to be a certain age before the 1st of sept.or you waited until the following yr to start school. That would put us back a yr.I know when we or rather I started Linc. school we went a full yr. I think we were 6 yrs. old when.we started school.No kindergarten here and don't know why.

[guest]

you had to be 6 before september or wait until the following yr.we had a labor day break them full term of school.got out around the last of april.

[richard]

Wayne Township & Wilson Jr. High School

Photo Courtesy of Daune Rita Cook Maze

[BobLane]

I remember in the first and later grades at Wilson, we sometimes had an "Air Raid" test. We all had to go the the hallway and kneel down with our heads covered with arms, hands, books or anything quickly available. It seemed more like a game than practice for a real emergency, I guess thats the thinking of a child. Bob Lane

[BobLane]

During WW2, produce was not readily available nor was it always affordable for poor factory workers. At Wilson, I remember about once a week maybe we would all line up in the hallway to get an apple or orange and a small box of milk. What a treat. I, most of the time, saved the fruit to take home and share with the family. Bob Lane

[richard]

Mr. Jack Hinkle and friends have given I.D.’s for this group.

Top Row L - R: Larry White, Laura Van Driver, Gary Burbrink.
Middle Row L - R: Carol Shafer, John Gentry, Karen Powell.
Bottom Row L - R: Dean Weed, Carol Thompson, Don Weed


Photo Courtesy of Daune Rita Cook Maze

[richard]

Mr. Jack Hinkle and friends have given I.D.’s for this group.

Top Row L - R: Wanda Ferguson, James Capbell.
Bottom Row: Mike Weisner.

Photo Courtesy of Daune Rita Cook Maze

[richard]

Mr. Jack Hinkle and friends have given I.D.’s for this group.

Top Row L - R: Charlotte McGaw, Robert Fulp, Nancy Cockerham.
Middle Row L - R: Bill Hasket, Lois Waltz, Daniel Collins.
Bottom Row L - R: Verna Welch, John Cleland, Dorothy Leslie.


Photo Courtesy of Daune Rita Cook Maze

[richard]

Columbus Junior High School 1956 - 57

Mr. Jack Hinkle and friends have given I.D.’s for this group.
Top Row L - R: Sharon Hart, William Powers.
Middle Row L - R: William “Bill” Pyatt, Gail Davis.
Bottom Row L - R: Beverly Waddle, Larry Blair.


Photo Courtesy of Daune Rita Cook Maze

[larry]

I started at Wilson Jr High in Grade 7. I was in 7C's and played on the basketball
team. I had a steady girlfriend named Peggy Smiley, who disappeared after that grade.
My best friends were Larry Blair and Steve Taylor. The 8th and 9th grades weren't as
much fun but OK. I knew most of the folks pictured above. Larry Wright 10/2/12