Andy G. Hollinger

Alrighty then -

Peggy Hughes (St. James)

We may have talked this one out. Normally I am all in when it comes to controversy, but I suggest we move to another topic before comments are made that irreparably affect our class cohesiveness. Another topic suggestion. Most memorable teacher at Pittsford Sutherland and why?  

Paul North (North)

Dan:

Apple Machine?  I can visualize it.

The red deliciious were the best.  Good and crisp.  The thing I remember is Mr. Leno agreeing to help me with Trig after school.  He and I sat in his classroom.  I understood about 50% of what he said, but I will never forget him leaning back, putting his feet up on his desk and taking a big bite out of one of those crisp apples while he explained the mysteries of math to me.  What a great guy.  

One of the best decisions I ever made was dropping Physics (as a senior) and taking typing.  I am a romantic poet and musician at heart. 2nd semester was the continuous Yuchre game in the senior lunge.  I haven't played since, but I have to say it was fun and better than sitting in a study hall.

What happened to Mr. Leno, Mrs. Hamm, Valentine Anzalone, Mr. McCauliffe, and others.  I often regret that I did not ever visit the school and express my appreciation to them (being a teacher my self) for their dedication.

If any of our teachers ever read this stuff..(and you survived the smoke pouring out of the teacher's lounge).THANKS>

Ellen S. Schwalenstocker (Schwalenstocker)

Most memorable for me is probably Mrs. Hamm - She got us to think and poured herself into activities like drama club. Mr. Hazlet was a bit on the dry side as I recall, but he sure taught us how to write a coherent paragraph. If you took his class, do you remember having to meet with him one-on-one so he could critique your work? INTIMIDATING  I was amazed when I got to college and found out how many of my fellow students did not benefit from someone taking the time to teach them how to write. Years ago, when I was working as a salesclerk at J.C Penneys during the summer, I acually "waited" on Mr. Hazlett and tried to thank him, but just made him all embarrassed. And I'll never forget Mr. Peleshi (even if I have forgotten how to spell his name). He was a dear man and very dedicated to his students. Being the unconfident person I was back in those days, he urged me to take AP Spanish, saying "what are you lazy?" 

Later in life, I had mentors that reminded me of some of those teachers and who made an immense difference in my life. I would not have made it out of graduate school without my magical advisory committee. Kudos to dedicated teachers everywhere.

And thanks for redirecting the conversation, Peggy!

Peggy Hughes (St. James)

Paul North, my mother Mary Hughes, Business teacher at PCS, was so frustrated that more college-bound students weren't directed to typing class. Who knew back then how keyboarding would become the "key" to just about everything we now do on computers!!

David 0. Hughes (Hughes)

Peggy;

I took your mother's typing class.  The fact that I am doing this right now is tribute to her!  And Ellen, I have always prided myself on being able to write well, which requires thinking well first.  I must have picked that up at PCS, although I have no specific memory of that.  I do recall American History class in the auditorium with all of the history teachers participating, dressed up in some vague political dress, probably teaching American Government. It was interactive and I enjoyed it.  And, I should have taken spanish, not german.  I am trying to learn now, making good progress, but it would have been so much easier if I had done that 45 years ago!

Dan Goodenow

Paul, Peggy:

Yes, Leno was a really great teacher.  Missing that 1/2 of freshman year, I had geometry junior year.  It was the one math that I did pretty good in.  He was very helpful after class, but I also think that at least for me, geometry was visual and I could understand the shapes, angles and so on.  The other courses like algebra, trig, and later calculus and so on were like foreign languages and eventually made me switch from engineering to architecture in college. Speaking of languages, I struggled with French!  I think it was Miss. Sheehan who tried to teach me.  She thought I was better than I was because she knew my mother was a French war bride and my older sister, Mary had aced her classes ahead of me.  Lord knows how I passed the French Regents exam.    

As for typing, I was one of those fumble fingers that just saw it as a pain.  I never studied it and still type with two fingers.  Back in HS, I had my dear, sweet, Ellen who typed like a champion.  She did it for me.  In college, I had another girlfriend who did all my typing the last four years and I did her advertising illustrations because she couldn't draw a lick.  It was a good trade.  Yes, keybording became a major and necessary work skill for a lot of us, but somehow I've been able to survive.  Funny thing is, and I haven't ever thought about it until now, is that my part time job in Boston involves editing specifications for about 80% of my time.  Peck away Dan...  How ironic is that.  One would think I'd learn to do it correctly, but you know what they say about old dogs. 

In 2008, I went back to school and got a continuing ed degree in "Architectural Technology" to catch up on a bunch of the new 3D and modeling software programs.  Maybe I would have been better off learning to keyboard!

I like the apple story and yes, if I remember, they were those big red ones and some green . That vending machine looked old to me even back then. I wonder where it came from and how long it was there?  In my mind it was grey or greenish grey in color.  Wouldn't it be a great find in a local antique or flea market?  How about if it turned up on The Antique Roadshow!  Let's find it and buy it!!  :)

Some memorable teachers for me were Homer Northrop (earth science),  Mrs Gilbert (english), Mrs. Harriette Young, (art) and David Storch, (math).  I think it was Storch who always gave us a long series of verbal calculations when the bell rang at the end of class.  No one was allowed to leave until someone answered it correctly.  I of course, just patiently sat there, acting and trying to look like my mind was working on a solution, (I imagine sort of like having that stupid look The Beaver used to have on TV when he was pondering something), just waiting for the correct answer to be given by a math wiz.  We all had and have our strengths and weaknesses, I guess...

Dan

David 0. Hughes (Hughes)

I just went back up through the several pages of this forum.....

Normally, this forum is pretty quiet unless a reunion is about to happen, or just happened.  Andy's post generated a lot of discussion which I have found very interesting.  Clearly there are strong feelings and disagreement with what has been posted, but I am not sure that is all bad.  Most of us have not seen one another very much in a long time.  We have all led lives and had experieinces that make us quite different than we were 47 years ago.  I am all for remembrances, and enjoy that they bring back memories or shed light on something that was going on under my nose that I did not see or know then. I also like, however, being taken out of my comfort zone sometimes.

We have beaten this one up sufficiently, I think, but the forum was used in a way that I have not seen before.  I hope that continues.

Peggy, what did you mean that you are usually all in for controversy?  Did I recall that comment correctly?

Dan Goodenow

John,

I agree with some of what you've said and most importantly the comment about service to our country.  I really think it would solve a lot of the current problems associatd with the later teen years in our country.  Mandatory service, military or non-military could help give direction to many of the young folks that seem lost, unfocused and so on.  It would also tend to  maybe give them a shared experience, confidence, leadership and problem solving skills and an understanding of others, less fortunate.  My two years, serving in Vista certainly helped to give me direction and a base to build on in later years.  I think it could do the same for many others.  There are a bunch of countries, Nigeria, for one, that do this. 

I bet Andy agrees with this idea...

Dan

Peggy Hughes (St. James)

Dave Hughes. Love controversy. Union Rep, one of the VP's of my teachers union, sat at the negotiating table. Always felt it was my duty to tell the emperor he wasn't wearing any clothes and most emperors don't appreciate it!  HaHa!  Really into social justice issues. Volunteered a lot on Hillary campaign. And so on. Now who expects that from a cheerleader.!  

Peggy Hughes (St. James)

STAY TUNED, Classmates. Kathy Lockwood will soon be posting notice of a Florida get together this March for snowbirds, vacationers, and residents of the sunshine state (and #1 state of wacky news). (Sorry, Kathy. Wanted to build up suspense)

Peggy Hughes (St. James)

Dave Hughes. Forgot to mention. Florida, where I did my teaching, is a southern right-to-work state. Influence of unions is not automatic. Not like NYSUT. Also, can't count the number of times the teachers were all riled up, legitimately, on this issue or that. Would talk to me privately so I'd get up in a faculty meeting and relay the concern. DEAD SILENCE from teachers. Heads down. 😮

Doug P. Allen

I'm pretty late to the party on favorite teachers.... I had one definite favorite..... Sally Covington.  What a personality and a fearless woman.....teaching Black History in a pretty white school!    Mr. Glossner...English teacher and Debate Coach was always encouraging, but really.... with her bright smile, and engaging approach to her students, Sally Covington is one I will always remember and one I wish I had not lost touch with! (please excuse ending that in a preposition!)

Ellen S. Schwalenstocker (Schwalenstocker)

I never had Ms. Covington. However, my younger sister Nancy and my much younger neice Amy both had her at Mendon and continue to name her as one of their best teachers ever (something about diagramming sentences . . . ) My sister Nancy became an English major and was very inspired by Sally Covington. I agree  with others that typing was a most useful class. I think I took it in summer school, and I don't think I had your Mom as the teacher, Peggy. My neice still talks about Miss Conway, who also moved over to Mendon and was an extremely talented choreographer. 

Mike Rose

I'm going to weigh in but stay away from controversy !   I had Sally Covington for Black History senior year.  She was great and got us thinking outside our white world a little.  David Clark ( he of Aston Martin fame ) brought Skakespeare to life for me.  Rodney Taylor tried to teach me to write creatively  ( failed,  but it was fun ! )

Just 3 that stand out for me.   PS.   Peggy,   I failed your mother's typing class and am still paying for to this day!

Dan Goodenow

Mike,

Great to hear from you.  I would have been right there failing with you in the typing class.

Peggy,

I always thought the cheering was great.  My only complaint was when I hear that one that went, "Dan, Dan, He's our man, If ...".  It sort of distracted and embarrassed me when I was on the field and it came up.

On the other hand, maybe it helped me overcome that type of thing and helped make me more comfortable with taking a challenge or putting myself out there.  (Like writing this stuff...)

More to the point, maybe the cheer was for Danny Kropp and not even for me!  :)

Do you remember that purple dinosaur that the cheerlearders had?  What was the story behind it?

I also loved the pep band and so on...

Dan

Peggy Hughes (St. James)

Dan, That was Peppy. I think it may have been pronounced Pepe (Don't know how to do the accent mark). I have no idea where he came from. I think we did the name cheer for EVERY player.  As for cheering, both my sister Barb (cheerleader) and I ended up with lumbar laminectomies (L4L5) so thinking all that back bending jump stuff caught up with us later in life!

Doug P. Allen

BTW, I thought that the cheerleaders were great!  

Weird....my wife pulled out a file that my had some from my mom to my ex and then to us.... Lots of old Progress Reports from Allen Creek School (I really don't remember any of the teachers beyond Mrs. Garvey in 5th grade)....and from Mendon Junior High....and from Pittsford Sutherland.... a "Meritorious Award" for Varsity Baseball (1968 season).... I was manager, didn't play.... and my Star Scount Award from Troop 19 (Tay House) from 1965.... and some college "stuff" as well....  

I cannot take credit for preserving it.... My mom, my ex and Joan have done that!

Lanny Traber (Traber)

I think this was one of the apple machines.  I loved it.  I can't remember how much the apples cost.  I was always trying to scrounge up money to buy one.  

Lanny Traber (Traber)

Peppy the dinosaur.

Thomas A. Roach

Mike, how could you possibly leave out the numerous 3rd periods spent at Uncle John's Pancake House with Jay, Bob Quinlan, you and me. Those were some good times. 

I think Beth said it best, Jay was a true gentleman.

Lanny Traber (Traber)

I have great memories from high school. My favorite teachers were Mr. Lenio, Mrs. Hamm and Mrs. Spicer.  I feel all three of them had a passion for teaching and truly cared about their students.  I always enjoyed Mrs. Hamm's gem of wisdom of the day.  Senior year I had a lot of fun playing blackjack and euchre in the Senior lounge.  I have to admit that I skipped way too many of Mrs. Gratian's math classes to go to the lounge.  I'm not sure how I was able to pass her class.  

Paul North (North)

Apples:  10 cents

The memories of our teachers are great...but what happened to them?  Any suggestions on how to find out about when they retired or where they are now?  Where did they go?  They must be in their 80's, 90's, or have passed on to their eternal rewards.  To paraphrase what Macarthur famously said, "Old teachers never die, they just fade away."

Who taught driver's ed? (Remember the big 8 cyl, six passenger, blue Chevy we drove?) Who was the Indian woman who taught us 9th grade history?  Frau Bach making us German students all throw away our gum one day when we all went in chewing gum on purpose.   Who was the math (or English?) teacher in 8th grade who threw dinner plates during class when she was frustrated with us?  What happened to Mr. Snyder who taught science in Junior High?  (I seem to remember he was missing a finger or two due to an encounter with a snapping turtle.)  Did anyone have Mrs. Drake in 6th grade?

Fun to hear the memories.  Thanks for sharing.

Norine Stagnitto (Rausch)

Hi All:

The Driver's Ed teachers were Mr. Murphy and Mr. Rollins.  What I heard from my brother, who's friend knew Mr Snyder, was that he lost his finger in a power saw accident.

David 0. Hughes (Hughes)

I have had to dig deep for remembrances.  Before high school, Miss Davis in 4th grade and Mr. Sarbo in 5th.  He taught me a life lesson that I recall to this day. Brian Bell in history had an impact.  I reconnected later as a sub teacher at Sutherland...interesting experience in a new context. I would love to apologize to Miss Lauffer.  We gave her hell in German class. I did not take Art Class, but I think that Mr. O'Brien had a huge impact.  There were some talented people in school, and he brought that out.  Howard Tappen was spectacular with music and choir.  He figured out (I think) that getting some jocks to join choir would make it "ok". They did, and the choir, Select Chorus, and Madriagal was pretty good.  I could sing then, and still can....and enjoy it.

Harold McAuliffe and John Dennison both had amazing voices.  I heard them a few years after school perform an opera at Highland.  Pretty impressive.

I look at Home economics and cannot help but wonder.  It was a puzzle then, but I have become a very good cook and enjoy the heck out of it.  I would not have been caught dead near that then.

Peggy, Pepe might not have an accent, but if it did it would be on the first e.

Paul, good question about former teachers.  They would all be quite old.  Several have made reunions, but I expect that is probably not going to happen any more.

That picture is THE apple machine.  There was only one. I loved the apples.  Imagine, eating good food. Thanks Lanny.  Actually, it was the future teachers picture in the yearbook.