Burrel School Revisited

In 1969 I began my teaching in a small school district 30 some odd miles southwest of Fresno. My first room was in a 1912 vintage building. I taught there two years and then had to leave in a staff reduction move. I was gone one year to Tranquility Elementary and was invited back as the Principal and teacher of grades 6, 7 AND 8. (Yes 3 grades.) While there we tore down the old buildings and built a state-of-the-art school in 1975. The school district is 100 years old this year and holding a centennial celebration May 11, 2012. The building directly behind me is the building I helped build.

This was a all contained building. It had the office, my office, staff room, cafeteria, and 3 classrooms. My office was behind the window at the far left of the picture and the yellow door went into my room. They have since built a sister building (behind this first building.)
It is kind of fun to have your name on a plaque - this is the dedicatory plaque for the building at Burrel.
I was thrilled to be there the day I was as my first and only secretary, Teresa Rodriguez, was working her last day before retirement the day I was there. It was inspiration I guess to go that day.
I am here with a former student, Sal Cisneros, who was in one of those early classes that I taught at Burrel. He and his wife now work at the school and he is the current PTC President and is in charge of the centennial celebration. That was a fun trip down memory lane.