November 27, 2002
Oak Park deep-rooted school
Elementary celebrates 50 years with special community dinner
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
The heart of the neighborhood for 50 years, Oak Park Elementary School staff, students and alumni celebrated the school's golden anniversary last Tuesday with a special community dinner. Nearly 250 people came to enjoy the festivities, including students, parents, former staff, the original principal and members of multi-generational Oak Park families.
Helen Burr is the matriarch of a four-generation Oak Park family. Her four daughters and four granddaughters and at least three great-grandchildren have all attended either the current building or the original school. The first Oak Park School was used from 1895-1952, a stately structure tucked in the neighborhood.
"We lived real close, my folks had a grocery store on Eighth Street where the beauty shop is now," Burr recalled. "This school [the current Oak Park] sits where my folks had a piece of property. They sold it and moved the house to Washington Street."
The original Oak Park School was situated at the corner of Rose and Webster streets. The two-story brick structure opened in 1895 with two classrooms and by the next school year, six of the school's eight rooms were in use. In 1906, an active Mother's Club formed, which spearheaded many extracurricular activities for decades.
Former principal Nettie Filkins Evans, who led the school from 1896 through 1904, wrote a short history of the school. She summarized some of the activities of the Mothers' Club.
"In 1918, the community kitchen was established. There the mothers sold hot dinners and the teachers served milk and crackers lunches free to undernourished children."
According to Evan's writings, the original Oak Park School began with a small amount of controversy.
"There was much grumbling in the neighborhood because the building was so large - it would never be filled. About ten years later it was necessary to add four more rooms and to make other improvements."
As the neighborhood and city grew with the post-World War II baby boom, the school began bursting at the seams. The district decided to build the current Oak Park Elementary School in 1952, inviting Evans to put in the first brick of the foundation.
Lenda McQueer, a member of the second generation of the four-generation Oak Park family, recalled how much students loved the former school's old-fashioned slide fire escapes and bell. She attended the original school for kindergarten and first grade and the new Oak Park through seventh-grade.
"We would play on the fire escapes in the summer," said McQueer, who enjoyed flipping through picture yearbooks and a variety of memorabilia on display during the 50th anniversary celebration dinner.
Ed Grassa was the first principal of the new Oak Park, holding that position until his retirement in 1982. He has vivid memories of the superintendent, Dr. Glenn Loomis, who Grassa said hired him as principal based on one qualification: he was a man.
"Dr. Loomis did not believe in women being principals," Grassa said.
During his 30-year tenure, Grassa said the neighborhood changed approximately every 15 years, with the school's population ebbing and flowing with these changes. He said the cycle went from a glut of young families to mostly older ones with students at the middle and senior high school.
Grassa started his career at Oak Park at the upswing of a young family cycle. In 1952, the new school was filled to capacity, with two classrooms meeting on the gym floor.
"I had a classroom on the stage, which is where the storage room is now," he said.
Grassa has many good memories of his time at Oak Park.
"I had some of the greatest teachers I ever had while here," he said. "Being here brings back all the good memories, I used to know all the students' names because I would take tickets at lunch in the cafeteria."
The baton is now being passed to the next generation of Oak Park Elementary School staff, parents and students. With current principal Ann Drury stepping in as the school's fifth principal in as many decades, continuity is a theme at the school.
Parent Amy Pslughoeft has one daughter in second-grade and also serves the school as PTO secretary. She said the school's celebration brought together the parents and staff, allowing a lot of people to share responsibility and take ownership of the school.
"One thing about Oak Park is it is a small school and I am getting to know different families and look forward to these times together," said Pslughoeft, who helped organize the celebration.
"There is a very positive atmosphere here and I want the kids to see how much I value their school and that is something that research has shown: when you demonstrate to your kids how important school is, they think it is important, too," she noted.