by Lucie Roy
Going back to school had a different meaning for four members of the Alpha Beta Kinda, who took the opportunity to tour the former Yellow School in Morinville, now known as the Homeland Housing Corporate Office.
Former teachers, secretaries, and assistant EAs, known as the Alpha Beta Kinda, were invited to tour the building last week thanks to Councillor Maurise St. Denis, Homeland Housing Chief Executive Officer Raymond Cormie and Receptionist Becky Dyk.
Armed with photo albums and lots of stories to tell, teachers Viviane Pezer and Janice Murray-Morden, together with secretary Lauraine Bijou and education assistant Lil Fedechkot toured the former school. They said they were excited to be there.
At the entry and throughout the building, they relived memories of what specific areas meant to them at the time. The entrance was the gathering place, where the office was, where Pezer used to play the piano.
The foursome took photos of where their classrooms used to be, and all commented on how beautiful the floor was downstairs. The concrete floor now has brown epoxy on top of it.
They said the washrooms in the basement were still in the same location but bigger.
CEO Cormie said the old school building was initially intended to be bulldozed, but they decided to have an engineer go through it. They were told it was structurally sound and in good condition. The building is 74 years old, and they decided to keep it in its original form as much as possible. This included original hardwood floors upstairs. Some offices also have hardwood.
The four former members reminisced about the kitchen and its old sink with a metal drip pan, the lunch/staff room, playroom area, blackboards, and the old blue-green metal cabinets from the 1950s.
Pezer commented on how their classrooms were always so big with big windows. Janice Murray-Morden’s old classroom is now the Boardroom.
Pezer said the place still felt warm and welcoming.
