This September, Cathy Fitzgerald, a CV alumna and former CV teacher for 42 years, visited Mrs. Haskell’s classroom. Naturally, the talk quickly turned to CV in the ‘olden days.’ Students were surprised to learn that at one point in time schools only offered sports for boys, kids had to change into gym uniforms, and CV had a bowling alley in the high school basement.
The students who spoke with Mrs. Fitzgerald are taking part in a new course that Chenango Valley is piloting this year, EDU 111: Foundations of American Education. This is a SUNY Broome Fast Forward college course. The seniors in this course are interested in becoming teachers, school social workers, and/or school psychologists.
These students have been exploring topics, such as:
• What does it mean to be a teacher?
• What is school like?
• What needs to be learned?
• What were the expectations and opportunities like for female students and teachers?
As part of a capstone project, the class will be working to answer these questions by exploring the history of Chenango Valley, including the five (5) elementary buildings that were once in use. Those elementary schools were in Port Crane, Port Dickinson, Nimmonsburg, Hillcrest and Chenango Bridge. The class wants to learn more about the culture of each building and what was expected of teachers and students.
Can you help out? The class needs information and artifacts. (Artifacts will be returned if you provide proper information on how to return them.) Students will need to do a bibliography with their project, so please do not send anything in anonymously.
Former Teachers: Do you have old employee handbooks, lesson plan books, classroom newsletters you made, class photos or any kind of yearbook material before 1959? Would you be willing to be interviewed by a current student?
Former Students: Do you have old student handbooks, class/club/sport photos, CV sports memorabilia pre-1980, elementary classroom newsletters or teacher’s letters home or any kind of yearbook material before 1959? Do you have a unique story to tell about the old days to current CV students?
If you can help, contact Mrs. Haskell, course instructor:
- By phone: (607) 762-6800, extension 4161. Voicemail is set up to answer the phone if Mrs. Haskell is teaching while you call. Please leave message and number to call.
- By email: [email protected] Please put “CV History” in the subject line.
- By mail:
Mrs. Kelly Haskell
Chenango Valley High School
221 Chenango Bridge Road,
Binghamton, NY 13901
Please enter submissions by December 19, 2018.