Happy Birthday Coolidge!
January 31, 2008 by mslevine
Coolidge School opened its doors at 420 Grandview Avenue in Wyckoff, NJ 75 years ago. Built in 1931, the 6-classroom school welcomed its first students in September of 1932. Were you a part of this Coolidge history? Did you attend Coolidge School any time between 1932 and today? Do you have any photos that we can add to our Coolidge timeline? We would love to hear about your thoughts and memories!
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As the current principal of Coolidge School I would love to hear from former students, parents and teachers. We are interested in finding out about special events, construction projects and stories from the past. Coolidge School has held a special place in the hearts of many over the past 75 years and has served as a second family to us all. I am honored to serve as principal and look forward to wishing Coolidge School a happy 75th anniversary!
I am a former Coolidge student (hope u remember me teachers =P) and i really enjoyed my time as a coolidge student. Right now I’m a sixth grader in Eisenhower so i was in coolidge only a few months ago. it’s cool to think i was part of a school already 75 years old. I have fond memories of my time at coolidge and hope all the new students do too.
It was great being able to go through such a caring school like Coolidge. Last year it was great to see all the construction happening outside my fifth-grade room. I hope that it will be done so everyone can enjoy it. I miss all the faculty and students.Good luck everyone and have a great 75th anniversary.
Coolidge with out question is the greatest school in the world hands down.
C-O-O-L-I-D-G-E, Coolidge is the school for me!
We have spirit, we have pride a credit to Coolidge School!
C-O-O-L-I-D-G-E, Coolidge is the school for me!
We are good sports and good leaders a credit to Coolidge School!
Proud member of the class of ‘02
How could I ever forget good ole’ Coolidge? I attended this wonderful school between 1953-60. I can still see some of my teachers as clear as the palm of my hand … Miss Cudlipp (Kindergarten), Mrs. Blockburger (1st grade), Mrs. Cianci (2nd grade), and Mrs. Foyle (5th grade), to name a few.
One of the best activities every year was when Coolidge traveled to Washington School each spring for Field Day. This was a huge competition. We practiced long and hard to prepare ourselves to beat those Washington kids in Tug of War, relays, dodge ball, etc. ! We didn’t become the “champs for the year” 100% of the time, but we surely had lots of fun!
I specifically remember the music room and the music teacher, Mrs. Seedyk. Her room was downstairs and quite small, but we had wonderful times all packed in there, singing a variety of holiday songs, such as “A Turkey Sat On a Back Yard Fence” and “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”. Once a week after school, that room was transformed into a place for our dancing lessons. We didn’t need fancy tutus; we were there in our shorts to have fun, and that we did!
Winters were spent sleigh-riding down the hills and ice-skating on Lemmerman’s Pond (my dad’s!). My grandma lived in a lovely farm house just up from the pond, so if we were too cold, we’d go up to her house to get warm and have some hot cocoa. We probably skated 7 days a week. Does that tell you how much colder our winters were? I also remember jumping off our porch into the snow, which, for most of the winter, was at least a foot high. Great times!
Summer was another season we looked forward to also. Swimming at Spring Lake, playing with the neighborhood kids until dark, and never worrying about locking doors stands out in my mind. We never heard of a “play date”; rather, we all practically “lived” outside when we weren’t swimming. Some of our most fun was playing “Hide & Go Seek”, softball/baseball, tag, hopscotch, and riding our bikes. We also played in the woods (yes, we had woods!) and used our imaginations often.
A couple of years ago, one of my great Coolidge friends, Skip Simonds, located and e-mailed me. He reminded me that I was his “first love”. I hadn’t even thought about him for 40 some odd years, but once I received his e-mail, I recognized that name in a second! He lives in CA.
About a month ago, my dear friend, Becky Gano Poth, located me via Ramapo’s alum site. She moved to Wyckoff when we were in 6th grade at Coolidge. We became best friends and remained so during 7th & 8th grades at Lincoln. The summer after 8th grade she moved to WV, and we never spoke again until NOW! It seems to both of us that we never said “goodbye”! My daughter has a dear friend in OR, and that’s where Becky also currently lives, so Jessica & I plan to travel out west to see them.
One very sad moment in time has never left me, and that was when Sharon Brown was killed. I was at Marc Doherr’s (he’s passed away) house when my mom arrived to pick me up. I thought it was odd that she arrived so early. The minute I entered the car & saw her face, I knew something was terribly wrong. Sharon and her entire family were killed by a train. That was the first death most of us children had experienced, and it wasn’t an easy one. Sharon was a beautiful, compassionate, young girl. To this day, every time I drive by her house on Wyckoff Ave., I think of her.
Only a few of us Coolidge kids are still in Wyckoff. I see Bev de Fino at the salon I go to. Norma “Holly” Gow came to my mom’s funeral in 1981. Other than that, every once in awhile, Kenny Westdyk e-mails me from down south.
Although the days, months, and years slip by way too fast, I’ll never forget the wonderful memories I have of Coolidge School. Those were the days …
coolidge school is by far the greatest school of all time and will be for years to come. no other school in wyckoff can compare to the legend that is coolidge. i wish i could go back to those days and relive it again
stay strong coolidge natives!
class of ‘02
Coolidge is the best school ever I had the best time here
Coolidge is terrific! I taught there between 1992 and 1997, Fifth and FIrst Grades, and I remember GREAT kids and GREAT families. I will also always tresure my GREAT colleagues. Although I have moved away, I think of Coolidge often, and always with a smile!
I was happy to read about the 75th Anniversary in the paper. I went to Coolidge K-5 starting in 1956. I remember that we were the first 4th grade to be in “the new section” and my classroom was on the right side looking towards Wyckoff Ave.
It was a great time in my life. We did “field trips” to the local farms. When once there was a dairy farm on Wyckoff Ave across from Newtown Rd. We went to a farm off Hillside Avenue and learned about shearing sheep.
The big one was the trip to Rudy Boonstar’s dairy. It was great !
My first grade teacher was Miss Mastenbrook. I have my class photo of that year and I can still see many of the friends from that time. My best friend was “Billy” Schelenz who lived on Wyckoff Ave.
Ah yes, we DID walk to school. Only in grade K did we ride a buss, driven my Mr. Murphy who was a fixture in the Wyckoff School system. The bus was kept in a garage owned by Charlie Gronomeyer (sp) at the corner of Goffell Rd. and Ravine Ave. But walking was the thing. We had a grand time, except for one snow storm I remember.
The “Safety Patrol” was where you wanted to be. To be a member was considered a great honor and we did the crossing guard duties then.
I also remember the “bomb drills” in the hallway and under the desk, a time when these things were common and accepted.
Coolidge School was a wonderful place to grow up and at a time when it was also.
We made our own fun, had great friends, and had a sense of community that remains in my heart today.
It was Coolidge and the Wyckoff School System that put me on a Path that I will always remember.
I should add that my older brother, Richard, also went to Coolidge, 4 years before me. If he were still alive I am sure he would have great things to add to this posting. Through my brother I met some great people also and still see a few. Rudy Boonstra always comes to mind. Rudy was one of the great people I have know and it was from Wyckoff Schools.
Thanks Coolidge for a great life.
John Unglert
75 years? Wow! I have such wonderful memories of coolidge. I met many of my friends there, and see a lot of them still at eisenhower. I miss all the teachers and the classrooms. (Hi Mrs. Dalessandro, Mrs. Pierro, Mrs. Fitzmaurice, Ms. Margarucci, Mrs. Britting, Mr. Andriulli, and Ms. Servon!!!I miss you all!) Compared to eisenhower coolidge seems so small, but its just so amazing to go back and say, “I was here” “This was my classroom.” and to say hi to all my former teachers. One of my fondest memories would have to be the fireplace in the kindergarten room. I loved feild day, just the idea of getting wet during school and having hot dogs, and watching a movie, and the ices. It was fantastic. Also being a part of the musicals ‘Cinderella’ and the ‘Lion King’. I was so excited to be a part of it, playing older simba and singing my two solos.And just to name a few off the top of my head, TAP, WEL, book budies, (Hi Sona!) and theme day. It was just so memorable. I miss coolidge, and it will always have a place in my heart. <3
class of ‘07
Coolidge was a formative place in my life. When I was there (1981-1987-ish) I thought it was the whole world. I will never forget my teachers–especially Mrs. Sikkema and Mrs. Troast– and our wonderful librarians, Mrs. Coluccio and Mrs. Dougher. They were not only teachers but friends. I can’t believe it’s been more than 20 years since I was there! It feels like yesterday. Happy Birthday, Coolidge!
75 years is a long time and many great memories have been made. I taught Phys. Ed. in Coolidge after teaching in Linclon, Washington, and Eisenhower. I have to say that the small size of the classes and the great attitude of every one in the school was the best. It was one big happy family. The field days, Olympics, obstacle course (circulatory system), Project Adventure activities, International Day done by the PTO, all the music programs, many special speakers, and every day classes I enjoyed so much because of the fun we had doing things together. Coolidge has always been an up beat place to be. I retired in 2001 and moved to AZ. Happy Birthday, Coolidge!
Happy Birthday Coolidge School.
My favorite of many great memories of my many years at Coolidge was story time in Kindergarten, sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace listening to Miss Cudlip reading stories. Probably 1945