From "Farmington School History": The Farmington School District became part of the Escalon Unified School District in July of 1967. Shortly after, the old brick schoolhouse was condemned. It was not earthquake safe. During the 1970-71 school year, plans for the campus were approved.
The forty-eighth annual and last commencement ceremonies in the old school building were held on June 9, 1971. Principal J.D. Keyser presented the class for graduation. Eighteen students were presented with diplomas. Several of the students performed and assisted with the ceremonies.
On June 17, 1971, a landmark of the community dissolved into history as the wrecking ball began the demolition of the old brick schoolhouse. Talk in town had suggested that the building was safe and should not have been condemned, but when the wrecking ball made its first hit, the whole roof caved in.
Many people from the community collected the used brick after the building came down. It was used for fireplaces and other projects in some of the homes in our community. Bricks from the old school and an old bell found in the attic of the old school were used to construct a memorial that remains between the classroom building and the multi-purpose room. Mr. Keyser raised money from the community to pay for the plaque, which is mounted on the memorial. Jeff Nichol, who served as bus driver and custodian, spent hundreds of hours planting trees, nurturing the grass and bedding seasonal flowers. Mr. Nichol bought and planted most of the birch trees on the grounds. Mr. Keyser wrote that he feels the landscaping makes Farmington School the nicest looking campus around. Those flowerbeds and the grounds are maintained to this day.
Principal Keyser initiated many programs during his tenure at Farmington School. In 1972, he began a program of after school special interest classes for the fifth and sixth grade students. Some of the areas studied included flower arranging (Mr. Keyser was a florist by trade), astronomy, chess, golf, vocabulary and speed-reading. Mr. Keyser said that the most surprising and gratifying part of this program was the enthusiasm from students and teachers who came in voluntarily after the end of their school day to help and observe. The astronomy group even spent a night in sleeping bags on the school campus with alarm clocks set to awaken them throughout the night to check the movements in the heavens.
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Happy Birthday to Jeannine Kroon on Saturday, April 21st.
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Please contact me if you have items for the Farmington News column. E-mail me at farmingtonnews@gmail.com or phone 896-6697.
The forty-eighth annual and last commencement ceremonies in the old school building were held on June 9, 1971. Principal J.D. Keyser presented the class for graduation. Eighteen students were presented with diplomas. Several of the students performed and assisted with the ceremonies.
On June 17, 1971, a landmark of the community dissolved into history as the wrecking ball began the demolition of the old brick schoolhouse. Talk in town had suggested that the building was safe and should not have been condemned, but when the wrecking ball made its first hit, the whole roof caved in.
Many people from the community collected the used brick after the building came down. It was used for fireplaces and other projects in some of the homes in our community. Bricks from the old school and an old bell found in the attic of the old school were used to construct a memorial that remains between the classroom building and the multi-purpose room. Mr. Keyser raised money from the community to pay for the plaque, which is mounted on the memorial. Jeff Nichol, who served as bus driver and custodian, spent hundreds of hours planting trees, nurturing the grass and bedding seasonal flowers. Mr. Nichol bought and planted most of the birch trees on the grounds. Mr. Keyser wrote that he feels the landscaping makes Farmington School the nicest looking campus around. Those flowerbeds and the grounds are maintained to this day.
Principal Keyser initiated many programs during his tenure at Farmington School. In 1972, he began a program of after school special interest classes for the fifth and sixth grade students. Some of the areas studied included flower arranging (Mr. Keyser was a florist by trade), astronomy, chess, golf, vocabulary and speed-reading. Mr. Keyser said that the most surprising and gratifying part of this program was the enthusiasm from students and teachers who came in voluntarily after the end of their school day to help and observe. The astronomy group even spent a night in sleeping bags on the school campus with alarm clocks set to awaken them throughout the night to check the movements in the heavens.
*****
Happy Birthday to Jeannine Kroon on Saturday, April 21st.
*****
Please contact me if you have items for the Farmington News column. E-mail me at farmingtonnews@gmail.com or phone 896-6697.
