A Syosset Scrapbook 

 Part Five

A sampling of report cards
Locust Grove, Split Rock, Village, Syosset High School 

Board of Education, pictured in the 1960 Syosset High School yearbook
Charles Voorneveld, James Collier, Russell Roetger, Elisabeth Babcock, William McGurk, Simon Wittenberg, Allen Hubbard, Samuel Glazer, William Keim.

 Early Science Fair awards
(image courtesy of Audrey Schwartz)

Trustees' Annual Report, Syosset School District No. 12, 1893
Left, cover, and right, the district's families (40) with children between the ages of 5 and 21 (95)

Cover of the "Split Rock School 50th Anniversary October 1974" souvenir book;
inside, the history of Split Rock School.

1904 NYS Department of Public Instruction Certificate
Elsie M. VanSise, pupil
Conrad O. Schweitzer, teacher
Elsie May VanSise passed the 8th grade exam and was therefore qualified to continue her education.
Her father, Charles Alfred VanSise, was Syosset's postmaster (1905-1927) and she served as "postmistress."
Conrad Otto Schweitzer (1882-1976) was only 21 when he taught in the one-room schoolhouse.  He later moved to New Jersey where he became Principal of Public School 8 in Passaic.

         
The two-room wooden schoolhouse, early 1900s 
This two-room building was constructed c. 1905.  It was the second schoolhouse and was used until the new school was opened September 20, 1925. 
From 1919 to 1925, the firehouse on Muttontown Road was used for the younger children.  Approximately 10 years after the new school was in use, this wooden building mysteriously burned down and its rubble was buried on the site where it stood.
(photo on right, courtesy of Virginia Budd Vail Hofstad)

Left, 1915:  teacher, Ruth E. Roberts
  Albert Budd, third row, third from left
           Violet Budd, fifth row, first on left
Right, 1917:  Albert Budd, third row, third from left
Violet Budd, fifth row, fourth from left
(photos courtesy of Virginia Budd Vail Hofstad)

Grades 3, 4 and 5 taught by Mrs. Leonard, c. 1916

8th Grade class, c. 1923
Click on the picture for larger version and names. 
(photo courtesy of Leone Knettel Taylor)

1924, at the Syosset Firehouse on Muttontown Road
Click on the picture for larger version and names. 
Sign on bulletin board advertises DANCES, Huntington Station, Nov. 8 and 29
 (photo courtesy of Mary Wencko Gaida)

1924, at the Syosset Firehouse on Muttontown Road
This is a 1st and 2nd grade class; Mrs. Porter is the teacher.
Agnes Nowak (?), third from left, second row.

Grade 6, 7, and 8, taught by Miss Edna Wicks, c. 1924

1924, still in the old building
LeRoy E. Budd, first row, third from left
Nellie Nowak Boslet, third row, fourth from left

Grade 4, taught by Miss Mabel Wicks, c. 1927
First row, far left, Agnes Nowak (?)

Split Rock School c. 1928
"This is where I went to school from about the 5th to the 8th grade.  Before that there was our old wooden school on the right [not shown—JD] which I attended.  We have no High School so we had to go to either Oyster bay or Hicksville.  I picked Hicksville because it was easier to get there."   Mildred Knettel Vanstane to her husband, Forrest Vanstane, during World War II.
(postcard courtesy of Diane Vanstane Oley)

Grade 8, 1929

Nellie Nowak's 8th grade diploma, 1931
Not visible in this picture but signed by President of Board,
 George D. Carnes; Secretary of Board, Daniel W. VanSise; Principal, Sarah B. Viste

Grade 8, class of 1932, and names as written on the back by Ethel Greenway
The names are left to right from the top row and broken by spaces in the rows. 
The teacher was Miss Elinor Kilgallon, who later became Mrs. Hefner.
(photos courtesy of Lois Ann Greenway Helser)

Grade 5, 1933

 Mildred Greenway
(image courtesy of Lois Ann Greenway Helser)

 Syosset School playgound, c. 1930s
(image courtesy of Lois Ann Greenway Helser)

Grade 8, 1936

Split Rock basketball team, 1937

8th Grade graduation, 1944, with
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr., speaker

At a fair in Hicksville, c. 1940s
  Mr. Frank Manarel (school principal), his son, Ross, Sally Anne Lynch and a teacher 
(photo courtesy of Sally Anne Lynch)

Arbor Day 1946, Girls' Glee Club
  Far left front, Margaret Melville, far right front, Rose Solnick.
Front row, Florence Rynsky (3rd), soloist, Sally Anne Lynch (4th), soloist.
Also in the photo are Dolores Horan (tall girl in back), Joan Solnick and Carolyn Solnick.
(image courtesy of Sally Anne Lynch)

Arbor Day ceremony 1947 
Trees were planted in memory of Daniel Lynch, owner of the Berry Hill Service Station and a longtime member of the School Board, and Charles Everett "Dusty" DeMilt, Syosset School stationary engineer and custodian.
(photos courtesy of Sally Anne Lynch)

Left, the girls of Mrs. Devine's 2nd grade class, Fall, 1947 
Right, 3rd grade,  6/21/49 
(photos courtesy of Lois Ann Greenway Helser)
Click on the above class pictures for larger versions and names.

Mrs. Curran's kindergarten class 1947-48
Click on the above class picture for larger version and names.

8th grade class trip to New York, Spring, 1951
Click on the picture for larger version and names. 

                                           
Mrs. Devine's 2nd grade class, October, 1952
(photo on right courtesy of Tom Melville)
Click on the above class pictures for larger versions and names.

 Back and front covers of Jack and Jill magazine, September 1946,
given by Mrs. Devine (who wrote her name on the top right) to her 2nd grade student, Pam Boslet, in 1952

8th grade class trip to New York, Spring, 1952
 Left to right, first row:  Bob Hammond, Janet Day, Peter Kahn, Monica Rumpf, Marie Maimone, Mrs. Elinor Hefner, Dave Rowntree, Dick Storz.  Second row:  Mr. Frank Manarel, Stan Kwiatkowski, Royall Victor III (Mike), Bob Holm, John Burckley 
(photo courtesy of Robert Holm)

8th grade graduation day, June 20, 1952
  Left to right:  Joyce Hale, Janet Day, Marie Maimone, Stan Kwiatkowski, Monica Rumpf, Bob Holm, Royall Victor III (Mike), John Burckley,
Bob Hammond, Dick Storz, Peter Kahn, Dave Rountree 
(photo courtesy of Robert Holm)

8th grade graduation, June 20, 1952
(photo courtesy of Robert Holm)

Graduation Program, 1953 

8th grade diploma, 1954;
John Day, President, Board of Education; Frank Manarel, Principal

Pam Boslet's 4th grade Memory Book, 1955

Pictures from Memory Book
Right, Evans W. Moore, principal

Autographs from Memory Book ("Ike Boslet" was Pam's dog.)

8th grade graduation, 1956
Click on the above class picture for larger version and names.
(photo courtesy of Barbara Holm Britton)

Mr. Bensen's 6th grade class, 1957
Click on the picture for larger version and names. 

"Split Rock School Has Closing Exercises" 
1957 Syosset Advance article with handwritten corrections by Pam Boslet
(more corrections:  "Mellville" should be "Melville"; "Mrs. Gearhart" should be "Mr. Gearhart.")

Denise Frazer and her dog Missy, 1957
   In the background is Split Rock's field and Monfort Place.

Mr. Parkes' 6th grade class, 1965
Click on the above class picture for larger version and names.

Mrs. Agell's  6th grade class, 1974

From Newsday, Split Rock School celebrates 50th anniversary in 1974
(image courtesy of Brian Pauleen)

Miss Brandes, c. 1929

Left, Miss Pauline Hise (later Mrs. Theodore Galiza) with Sally Anne Lynch, c. 1930s
Right, Mrs. Catherine Devine, 1958 
(photos courtesy of Sally Anne Lynch)

Left, Mrs. Downer and Mrs. Minard, 1947
Right, Miss Laura Spain, center, with Florence Rynsky and Patty Kressly
(photos courtesy of Sally Anne Lynch)

 Mr. Bensen, Principal, at the school's south entrance, 1957
   Is your bike there?

All that remains, July, 2000
A "Field of Dreams," site of Syosset Little League from 1953 to 1955

c. 1945
Robin Boslet on the left

 Robin Boslet running through the school field,  c. 1945

1946
First row, left, George Hvidsten, Rita Viette (3rd), far right in light coat, Robin Boslet; second row, left, Douglas Baird, far right, Johnnie Watson; third row, left, Al "Alfie" Healy, Roddy Mackenzie, Roger Alligier, Henry Miller (6th), far right, Ruth Monilaws

1950
Mrs. Brush's kindergarten class
(photo courtesy of Lorraine Graf Zabel)
Click on the above picture for larger version and probable names

George Graf, Lorraine Graf and Don Andersen just after the first day of school at Locust Grove, Mrs. Brush's class, September 1950.
(image courtesy of Gary Zabel)

Class of 1954 
(photos courtesy of Douglas Baird)
Click on the above class pictures for larger versions and names

Ms. Doris Klenkel's kindergarten class, March 1955.
Bob Brussack is the boy in the dark shirt in the middle of the photograph.
(image courtesy of Bob Brussack)

Mrs. Dubsky's kindergarten class, 1957-58
In second row:  Mrs. Dubsky and Principal Tomashefsky;
Third row:  Charlie Abrams (2nd), Ann Steffany (3rd), Stephen Fricker (4th);
Bottom row:  Billy Hildebrandt (3rd), David Aldrich (5th) 
(image courtesy of Stephen Fricker)

Locust Grove School is now
the Variety Child Learning Center.

2005:  The front of the original building that was Locust Grove School
(image courtesy of Karen Laschitza Glutz and Clara Yoepp Gamer)

Left, the original 1748 one-room school originally on Woodbury Road and Jericho Turnpike
It was moved to a private estate; this picture was taken c. 1920s-30s
Right, second school, early 1900s, replaced in 1927 (see Syosset High School) 
(photos courtesy of Tom Montalbano)

Walt Whitman Elementary School, 482 Woodbury Road

Left, Mr. Scala's 8th grade class, 1956 
Click on the picture for larger version and names.
(photo by, and courtesy of, Marie Manning) 
Right, Marie with Mr. Scala
(photo courtesy of Marie Manning) 

1954, 1955 (from the Syosset Advance) and 2000

Left, William Kupec, principal; 
Right, Robert Rutzel, class athlete

Autographs from Memory Book 

8th grade graduation, 1956

Mr. Blossfield's 8th grade class, 1956

Mr. Parkes' 7th grade class, 1956
(Image courtesy of Colin Jones)

Left, Village School salutatorian medal, 1956
Right, the salutatorian, John Delin

Schoolchildren in spring of '56
Image on left, front row:  Ronnie Reilly? (3rd), Frank Alleva? (4th);
back row:  Greg Johnson (2nd), Tricia Mierisch (3rd), Renee Schwartz? (15th)
(photos courtesy of Priscilla Thralls King)

South Grove Elementary School, 60 Colony Lane

Mrs. H. Taplin's 6th grade class, 1955 
Click on the picture for larger version and names.
(photo courtesy of Janet Ellen Lusk)

Mrs. Smith's 7th grade class, 1955 
Click on the picture for larger version and names.
(photo courtesy of Peter Smothergill)

Left, Miss Hickey's Kindergarten class, 1958
Right, Miss Herlihy's 1st grade class, 1959
Click on the pictures for larger versions and names.
(photos courtesy of Jeanne Sittig Moore)

6th Grade trip to Washington, 1966
(photo courtesy of Randy Stricker)

 Alice P. Willits Elementary School, 99 Nana Place
The school's name was corrected from "Alice P. Willets" c. 1965
Miss Alice P. Willits was born c. 1866.  
William Willits, father of Alice and her three sisters, owned lots of land in Locust Grove in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The old Locust Grove elementary school was on his property.  He owned on both sides of Jericho Turnpike and on both sides of the old Underhill Boulevard.  The LIRR went through his land.  The old school was on the north side of the turnpike and the east side of the old Underhill Boulevard.
In 1939, there was still a W. Willits estate on the north side of the turnpike.  On the south, his old property was divided and owned by the Lewis Homes, Joseph Klein and the bank of Syosset.  Now, the streets are Elm Pl and Oak Dr. and Locust Lane among many others, all on land once owned by the Willits family.  As for the Willits School, it's hard to figure where Nana Pl is on old maps; there are lots of owners, but the Willits family did not own that land.

 Early Field Day awards
(image courtesy of Audrey Schwartz)

 Mrs. Brush's 8th grade class, c. 1956
Click on the picture for larger version and names.

Miss Sheraga's 2nd grade class, 1962
Click on the picture for larger version and names.
(image courtesy of Eileen Green Alexander) 

 Baylis Elementary School, 580 Woodbury Road

Mrs. J. Cole's 7th grade class, Dec. 1955 
Click on the picture for larger version and names.
(photo courtesy of Janet Ellen Lusk)

Miss Cammarota's 8th grade class '55-'56
Click on the above class picture for larger version and names.
(photo courtesy of Peter Smothergill)

Mr. Oscar Pultz's 8th grade class '55-'56
Click on the above class picture for larger version and names.

Mr. Cohen's  4th grade class, 1961
Click on the picture for larger version and names.
(image courtesy of Sherry Podgorsky) 

6th Grade dance, c. 1961
Carl Giggamotso, Randee Burke, unidentified, Richard Vitale, 
(image courtesy of Randee Burke Tavarez) 

Berry Hill Elementary School on Cold Spring Road, 2000
(photo by Michael Mark)

Mr. Gross' 4th grade class, 1962
Click on the picture for larger version and names.
(image courtesy of Robert Tolins) 

Our Lady of Mercy Academy on Convent Road

1957 Yearbook

1956-57 Juniors

Peter-Thomas Rohrbach, O.C.D, The Search for St. Thérèse, Hanover House, 1961
from the Our Lady of Mercy Library, c. '60s 

1976 prom mug

1962 
(photos courtesy of The Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Gottscho-Schleisner Collection:
    left, LC-G613-78807; right, LC-G613-78808)

Library