Outside Pinewood Intermediate School Friday, Sept. 5, it looked like students and staff had traveled back in time to 1958 when the Hula Hoop was the hottest toy on store shelves, Mr. Potato Head was new and Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat Comes Back was first published.
More than 700 students, staff and alumni celebrated Pinewood’s 50th anniversary with a walk back in time featuring ’50s music and costumes.
`As we look upon the past, present and future of Pinewood school, we are proud of the history we have made, our present goals for all of our students to be successful, and our future initiatives to prepare students for tomorrow’s world,` said Pinewood Principal Michele Hunter.
The celebration included the unveiling of a time capsule from 1958, a history of Mr. Potato Head, a Hula Hoop contest and reading from Dr. Seuss’ book.
School officials recovered the time capsule from the school’s cornerstone, which contained a cumulative health record, a report card, a student registration form, the proposed 1958-59 school budget, the elementary curriculum, class lists, two newspapers, parent correspondence for kindergarten programs, and a letter from former Board of Education member Howard Engle about the new building.
In the book, `The Cat and the Hat Comes Back,` Dr. Seuss refers to purchasing shoes for only $10. Math teacher Josh Hughes, who participated in the ceremony, said it is apparent that the book is old from the price of the shoes. He said today students probably have trouble buying shoelaces for $10. Teachers acted out the story for the students, who were familiar with the famous author but unaware of the fact that the book was published 50 years ago.
Former kindergarten teacher Mary Williams, who still substitutes for the school, said, `As you can see, the building has changed, the equipment and the supplies,` Williams said. `But one thing that hasn’t changed is the teachers. The teachers, they’re here to do the best job for you.`
Some of the distinct differences in the school from 1958 to now include the school’s population and number of classrooms.
In honor of the Hula Hoop, which only cost $1.98 in 1958, students and teachers took part in a competition to see who was most agile. Librarian Mindy Holland outlasted everyone in the competition, Hula Hooping for about 15 minutes non-stop.
In 1958, there were 458 students at Pinewood in 14 classrooms. Today there are 700 students in 40 classrooms.
A merger of the Bigsbee Union Free School District No. 8, the Carman School District No. 13 and the Pinebush Common School District No. 9 formed Pinewood Intermediate School.
Today it is known as the Mohonasen Central School District.
In 1958, the district expanded the Carmen school, but still needed more space and built Pinewood at a cost of $985,000.
Pinewood was named for the all pine trees that were near the site, where the school is located. Today several pine trees are still growing behind the building.
`Pinewood School is not just a structure or a building, it is a house, a house built in 1958 for a family which continues to grow bigger and bigger each year` said Assistant Principal Deborah Kavanaugh. `A community of students, educators, board members, parents and community members who come together to support learning, build relationships and share experiences.`
Some memories submitted by alumnus of the school include safety patrol, the strawberry festival, air raid drills and tackle football.“