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Teachers knew their school as students too
(by Sue Hoffman - October 01, 2009)
Teachers knew their school as students too
By SUE HOFFMAN
What a difference 20 years make, according to Drew Dolinsky, a third-grade teacher at Westwood Elementary School in Russell.
"We had no computers, no Smart (interactive) Boards," he said, recalling the old ditto machines, which printed everything in blue ink. "There's more pressure on kids today to perform."
Mr. Dolinsky knows the changes well. He attended Westwood School from third through fifth grade in the late 1980s after his family moved to Russell from the South Euclid-Lyndhurst School District. His mother, Linda, was a teacher at the school, he said. "She taught fourth grade when I was in third, and she moved to third grade when I was in fourth."
His father, Larry, was among the parents who helped install a new playground, which was just replaced. Westwood School's new playground was funded by the district's open enrollment program.
Mr. Dolinsky and two other teachers who attended Westwood School as children -- Beth Sustin Phillips and Lisa Palladino Bridge -- shared their memories as the school celebrated its 50th anniversary last week.
Outside, students participated in the school's inaugural walk to raise funds for PTO-sponsored programs this year. School officials said they were hoping to exceed the $8,000 they raised in catalog sales in the past. Their mission was accomplished, with the walk raising approximately $10,000, Principal Denise Brewster said.
To celebrate its half-century mark, the school also held an open house ice-cream social Sept. 24 in the school's pavilion, 29-acre land laboratory and new playground, and held a breakfast for current and former staff members Sept. 25.
Students were working throughout the month of September with artist-in-residence, George Woideck to design and create a tile mural commemorating the school's 50th year. The school also has framed photo collages of the history of the school and theatrical productions over the years.
Mr. Dolinsky, a 1998 graduate of West Geauga High School, became a full-time teacher after filling five long-term substitute-teaching positions over the last four years at the school. Looking back at his elementary school years, he said, "I didn't have to worry then as students do now. There were no Ohio achievement tests. There's definitely a lot more pressure on students to perform now than in the past."
At the same time, he said, "computers and Smart Boards make it easier for teachers to get everything across," and the Internet helps with student research.
Another change is the security buzzer and locked door at the entrance to the school. "There were no problems of terrorism or people walking through the school then," he said.
About those golden years, he said he was one of only two boys in his third-grade class, a bit of a surprise as he started school. The class was small with about 15 students.
Small classes are the opposite of what Mrs. Phillips, a second-grade teacher, found when she attended Westwood School for sixth-grade during the 1981-1982 school year.
"I grew up in Russell and went to Russell Elementary," said Mrs. Phillips, who has been teaching at Westwood School for 15 years. "Then it closed and we were shipped over here, where it was crowded and very exciting." She said at Russell School, the entire student body could sit on the front steps.
Not only does Westwood School have fewer students today, the school also received a major addition about 12 years ago. Westwood School serves preschool through fifth grade.
"As a teacher now, I think of what teachers had to contend with then," Mrs. Phillips said. "It had to be a big transition for them. We had 30-plus kids in my class, with one teacher." Despite crowding, she said, "the teachers were so nice. We had fun times," with concerts and other programs.
Mrs. Phillips, who lives in Mayfield Heights, said her memories surface as she walks through the fourth- and fifth-grade hallway. "It takes me back, having walked the halls as a student. The building has changed, but the feeling is the same. It's a welcoming school."
Mrs. Phillips and Mrs. Bridge, a preschool teacher, recalled the many physical changes in the school. The playground was on blacktop and the lunchroom served as a gym, assembly room and concert hall, she said. The school now has a gymnasium with a stage and a built-on music room. The first-grade wing is new as well as the front office.
Mrs. Bridge, who attended Westwood School for kindergarten through sixth grade in the 1960s, remembers the first principal, Philip Runyon, who served the school for 21 years.
"I remember the planters where there are now benches," near the entrance to the school, said Mrs. Bridge, of Russell. "In sixth grade, I got to water the plants weekly. I remember the custodians hurrying to sweep up after lunch for gym class."
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