The first time I stepped inside Simpson Elementary School was sometime during the 1966-1967 school year. I was the new kid, a transplant from Hartman Elementary School in North View. My parents, little sister and I had just relocated to Bridgeport. We moved into a house on Third Street and I was in the second grade – in the class of Mrs. Little. She was pretty and nice and I remember feeling very comfortable in her classroom, which was located in one of the four corners of the lower level of the school. There were four more classrooms upstairs and I think there was one in the basement.

 

I heard early on that Miss Lang used “Mr. Stick” to discipline students. I remember her being old and stern. I also remember Mrs. McElvane who, yes, was old – at least to a second grader. But I also remember her being cool and a little on the crazy side – in a fun sort of way. All the teachers wore dresses and it seems like they often were accessorized by thin belts at the waist. Our principal was Mr. Thrasher. I still remember his smile and the sparkle in his eyes. He as very kind and gentle and quietly clapped his hands together as he talked to his kids. He wore a suit and tie. As the next couple of years went on, I spent a decent amount of time in his office. I wasn’t in trouble; I just had to use the telephone. Our family dog, Wilbur, often followed my sister Janet and me as we were walking to school. I’d call our mom to come get him.

 

I had Mrs. Powell for third grade. I really liked her. She had dark hair and a little draw to her voice. My fourth grade teacher was Mrs. Landacre who had crisp white hair and bright red lipstick; both which offset her dark-rimmed classes and high heels. I remember she had a spring to her step and created a click as she walked across the wooden floor. During my fourth grade year, I received a handwriting certificate for making each letter correct by uniform slant and size. I still have it; as I do the one I received in second grade for merit in making the change from manuscript to cursive. 

 

There was no sixth grade at Simpson back then, so my last year there was with Mrs. Sullivan, who, of course, taught fifth grade. I can best describe her as a 1960s TV mom – or maybe grandma, from the pin curls in her hair to the sweep of her A-line skirt. She was very nice, also. I had the latter two teachers when I was in the top of the Simpson “tower.”  Although I wasn’t in her homeroom, I also had Mrs. Moran for some class - maybe science. She was rounder than the other teachers and I think a little younger. Other vivid memories of the Simpson Tower include the chin-up bar in the doorway. I never could do a chin-up. Also sticking in my memory was the in-classroom weigh-in. I remember having to state my weight when the teacher called my name. I always hated that. I was a little chubby; thus the inability to do the chin-ups!

 

The only male teacher I had at Simpson was Mr. Stemple. He was our band instructor. I played the clarinet from third grade on. Our band room was in the basement.  So was Mrs. Gorby’s first grade classroom. One year, my sister was in there. She and her classmates – some of whom she is still friends with – always told stories of passing notes in class and crawling between desks to pass them.

 

Although I didn’t know him then, my husband Jeff also went through Simpson Elementary, a year ahead of me. All four of our children also attended Simpson with a long line of educators being responsible for their elementary education. In the late 1980s, our oldest daughter had Mrs. Beckley , Mrs. Nease and Mrs. Belcastro for first through third grades. Toward the end of the first decade of the new millennium, our youngest son finished up at Simpson with Mrs. Kinard and Mrs. Hutson for fourth and fifth grade, respectively. Actually, all four of our kids had Mrs. Kinard for fourth grade. I remember being in her classroom for open house every one of those years and over the course of two decades, I attended homeroom parties in just about every classroom in the school. 

 

I ate a lot of lunches at Simpson. During my own years of education, I took a brown bag lunch and ate in my classroom – when I didn’t walk home for lunch, that is. When my kids went there, I often ate hot lunch with them in the cafeteria. In the early days, my sister and I would go together and eat with our kiddos. We were always getting our lunch table in trouble for talking. Seems we would just get a good conversation going and that red light would go on.

 

When I think of Simpson Elementary School, a green light goes off in my head and the memories roll. This week, demolition of the historical school took place to make way for new and improved educational facilities for the present generation and those to come. Just because the school is gone, the memories will continue. And the future will chalk up many more recollections of golden childhood years.

 

Pictured is the 1967-1968 class of Mrs. Powell at Simpson Elementary School. Do you have pictures from your days at Simpson Elementary? Please send them to julie@connect-bridgeport.com. I can also be reached at 304-848-7200 or follow me on Twitter @JuliePerine. 

 

See more Simpson Elementary class photos HERE. 

 

More "It's Happening" HERE