Student Records at the Chicago Archdiocese

Did you know you can request records from the Chicago Archdiocese?  Rita Moore Lofersky (Class of 1959) requested her records and sent this message:

Here is a list of teachers that I had during my eight year career at STA from 1952 to 1959:

1952 - Sister Immaculata
1953 - Sister Gilbert
1954 - Mrs. Lane
1955 - Sister Pearce
1956 - Sister Beatrice
1957 and 1958 - Sister Eva
1959 - Sister Constance

I have this information from my school records.  Anyone can get theirs.  Go to the Archdiocese of  Chicago website.  Go to school records and a form will come up.  Follow the steps and mail it in (along with the fee, of course).  I received a record for each year along with an overview of the entire eight years and even a picture of me from 1st grade.  I'm into genealogy hence the reason I sent away for the records.

Rita Moore Lofersky


Just go to their website at: 

http://www.archchicago.org/

Click on "About the Archdiocese" at the left of the homepage

Then click on "Archives and Records" in the drop down window

A new page will open, and on the left hand side click on "Student Records Request"
And, up pops the form you need to fill out to request your records.


Information from the Chicago Archdiocese Website:

School Records

The records for approximately 250 closed Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Chicago are located at the Archives. Access to these records is restricted. Researchers are not entitled to the complete school record. Under provisions of federal law and Archdiocesan policy, they are only allowed "Directory Information". This includes: name and address, telephone number, birthday, birthplace, major field of study, participation in school activities, weigh and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, awards received, previous schools attended, the student’s photograph, and the parish in which the student resides. This information is taken from the student’s record at the time the student attended the school. Current information is not available from the Archives under any circumstances. There is a $10.00 fee per name for this service.  

THE NON-REFUNDABLE FEE OF $10.00 PER RECORD AND A COPY OF A PHOTO IDENTIFICATION MUST ACCOMPANY THIS FORM.  CASH, CASHIER'S CHECKS, OR MONEY ORDERS ARE ACCEPTABLE FORMS OF PAYMENT.  UNFORTUNATELY, NO PERSONAL CHECKS WILL BE ACCEPTED.  MAKE CASHIER'S CHECKS OR MONEY ORDERS PAYABLE TO THE ARCHDIOCESE OF CHICAGO. MAIL TO 711 W. MONROE ST., CHICAGO IL 60661.

 

This is a great way to locate some fascinating bits of data about yourself or even your parents if they attended a Catholic school in Chicago.

Thanks to Rita Moore Lofersky (Class of 1959) for alerting us to this resource and thanks also for reminding us of our wonderful teachers we had at STA.

Graduation Program, 1959

Rita Moore Lofersky (Class of 1959) located the program from graduation day June 7, 1959 while going through some boxes.  She says she didn't even know she had it.  Glad you found it and shared it.

Program Cover, 1959

Inside cover, 1959

Page 3, 1959

Note: If you click on the image, you can open up the images in a larger window.

Rita, thank you so much for saving and sharing the program from your 1959 graduation.  I bet you can still remember what your graduation dress looked like.  I can remember my pale green one from 1960 graduation.

First Honors/Perfect Attendance 1960

Each year, at graduation time, students from all eight grades with "first honors" and "perfect attendance" would be listed in STA's Church bulletin.  On Trinity Sunday, June 19, 1960 this was page 2 news!!!

Do you remember these STA students?  Perhaps when you see them at the next reunion, you can give them a belated "Congratulations!"

St. Thomas Aquinas Point of View; June 19, 1960; page 2

Note: Image can be enlarged by clicking on it.

Image Courtesy: Elaine McIntyre Beaudoin, Class of 1960

A Daughter's Memory of her Dad - Both Grads of STA

We received a note from Mary McCarthy Shimandle (Class of 1965) who tells us her Dad, Justin McCarthy, lived at 5353 W. Washington Boulevard until 2 years before his death in 2007 at the age of 95.  She says he never had a sick day in his life and she muses perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he went to Mass at St. Thomas Aquinas/St. Martin de Porres Church everyday!

He also attended St. Thomas Aquinas (I’m guessing Class of 1926) and remembers the cornerstone being put in place when the church was built in the 1920s.  He told Mary that one of the faces in the mural painted in the 1950s above the altar (now painted over) included the likeness of the then Pastor, Msgr. Long.

Mary noted that her Dad was very instrumental in the transition from St. Thomas Aquinas to St. Martin de Porres Parish. 

Thanks Mary for sharing a little bit of your Dad’s story.

Joy and Sadness to Christen Parish - 1992

Patrick Reardon (Class of 1963), author of the following article which appeared in the Chicago Tribune in 1992, is planning on joining us at our September 30, 2012 reunion.  The newspaper article was written just prior to St. Martin de Porres Church being formally dedicated.  Thank you Pat for a beautiful article.

Joy and sadness to christen parish

It is a new church, and it isn't. It is a beginning, but also an end. It is a time of joy, and a time of sorrow.

On Feb. 9, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin will go to the Austin neighborhood on Chicago's Far West Side for the formal dedication of St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church, 5112 W. Washington Blvd.

St. Martin was a 17th Century mulatto physician whose work as a Dominican lay brother among the sick and poor of Peru made him that country's patron saint of social justice.

The new parish, named for him, is made up of some 500 families, nearly all of them African-Americans, who come from throughout the city and even the suburbs to worship together.

The parish was organized in 1988, but it wasn't until last Nov. 3, St. Martin's feast day, that the congregation was able to move into its permanent worship site.

"It's beautiful," says Sandra Backstrom, a Chicago public school teacher. "For me, it's a dream come true."

Much of Backstrom's happiness comes from the fact that St. Martin really isn't a new church. Instead, it's a new parish in an old church building, the same building where she worshiped for more than 15 years as a member of the St. Thomas Aquinas parish.

The St. Thomas Aquinas church building, which had served West Side Catholics for 64 years, was closed three years ago and had been in danger of being torn down. To see it now, reopened and renovated at a cost of nearly $700,000, gives Backstrom a keen delight.

But there are many for whom the joy of next month's formal dedication will be mixed with sadness and regret.

The new St. Martin parish is the result of financial difficulties that led Bernardin to urge the consolidation of three West Side parishes: St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Mel-Holy Ghost and Resurrection.

Following a long meeting process, congregation members decided that they wanted to put up a new church building for their new parish, rather than renovate any of the worship sites of the three old parishes.

But, by that time, the fall of 1990, the archdiocese was in even deeper financial trouble, and Bernardin said a new building was out of the question. Instead, the archdiocese would help pay for the renovation of the St. Thomas Aquinas structure.

"I was disappointed, of course. I shed tears, of course," says Alberta Bowles, a hospital social worker who had wanted a new church building.

And, if not a new building, Bowles would have preferred to have the consolidated congregation meet in the chapel of the old Resurrection parish in the bottom floor of the parish school.

"The Res chapel was viewed as a basement," she says. "But, for those of us who had been worshiping there for years and years, that was church."

Yet, even for the old St. Thomas Aquinas parishioners, there were sorrows that came from the renovation.

As part of the modest redecorating of the building, a bust of St. Martin was put near the front door and a sculpture of the saint was placed in a side alcove.

At the same time, a statue of St. Thomas, one of the most influential theologians in Catholic history, was removed, and the image of St. Thomas that had loomed over the altar in a 50-foot-tall tapestry was painted over.

"I really miss St. Thomas," says Sandra Hilal. "I often sit there and pray that that paint just peels off."

In its first three years, the consolidated parish had celebrated Sunday mass at the St. Mel-Holy Ghost church building, 4301 W. Washington Blvd. It was during that time that Hilal, a resident of the north lakefront neighborhood of Uptown, stopped coming on a regular basis.

Her return coincided with the move to the old St. Thomas building, but she says, "It wasn't the reopening of the church. I'm back because I missed my church family."

She explains: "The people of St. Thomas -- and, I suspect, of St. Mel and Res -- if you're sick, they'll come see you. If your family has problems, they're right there for you. In this parish, if you cry, someone cries with you. And if it's a joyful occasion, they're joyful with you."

Those comments were echoed by others from other parishes. "Wherever my church family is at, that's where I want to be," says Patricia Buford, the president of the choir.

Buford is from Resurrection, as is Avusa Farmer, who despite the bumpy journey that the consolidated congregation has had, says:

"We're one now. You can see people from all three parishes coming together and working together, more so than before. This church is beautiful. Now, hopefully, we're home."

Chicago Tribune, January 22, 1992, page 1.

Author, Patrick T. Reardon, (Class of 1963)

Plato Learning Academy

Who is in the old St. Thomas Aquinas School Building?

The Plato Learning Academy Middle School (grades 5 through 8) is located at 116 N. LeClaire, the site of the former St. Thomas Aquinas School.  Plato Learning Academy is a contract school managed by American Quality Schools.

Its mission is to work collaboratively, think critically, and achieve academically in order to promote and nurture a community of life-long learners for tomorrow's global society.

On their webpage there is a letter from the principal, Dr.Vanesa Thompson, which shares more information about the school. 

 “At Plato Academy we strive for excellence.  As we strive for excellence, I am committed to every child who graduates from our school being prepared for a selective enrollment high school and then attending a college or university.  I believe that our children can and will have academic success.

    

“We hope that you will work collaboratively with us by ensuring that your student is ready for instruction daily.  A Plato student will be on time, ready to learn and display the 6 pillars of character.…

“You can be assured that as our students are reciting the following creed every morning, we are doing our best to ensure that they live up to this creed and we appreciate your partnering with us.”

“We, the students of Plato Learning Academy, are making a commitment to our community.  We will respect teachers, staff and fellow students.  Every day, we promise to do our best to reach our goals, to prepare us for a bright future as lifelong learners.” 

Don't you think St. Thomas Aquinas would be very proud of this school’s efforts!

On September 30, we will have a chance to walk through the school.  

First Grade, Jan. 1962 -- Class of 1969

This photo was located on the Austin Historical Facebook page.  Janice Gamboney Gallagher (Class of 1969) graciously permitted posting on the STA Blog too.

There are three Austin area related Facebook pages.  For more information on these pages, go to a previous Blog on this site for their Facebook Names.   They have many, many photos of the Westside.  This photo, supplied by Janice Gamboney Gallagher, can also be viewed on Facebook by clicking here.

John McCormick (Class of 1968) identifies the teacher as Sister Corona, RSM.

Janice Gamboney Gallagher (Class of 1969) thanks so much for sharing the photo.  Looking forward to meeting you on September 30.

Mothers' Club 1963-1965

Many of our Moms were members of the St. Thomas Aquinas Mothers' Club.  Some of our Moms held Mothers' Club positions and some of our Moms were Honorary Members.  Although I don't see my Mom listed in the 1963-1965 directory, and since I was a 1960 graduate, I didn't think too much of it.  But, on page 20, I saw my Grandmother listed.  Her youngest child graduated in 1927!!!  You never know where you will find your family!

The first several pages of the directory include the Constitution and By-Laws as well as a pro-forma business agenda so these were not scanned.

Do you see your Mom's name in the list?

Mothers' Club, 1963-1965, pages 10-11

Mothers' Club, 1963-1965, pages 12-13

Mothers' Club, 1963-1965, pages 14-15

Mothers' Club, 1963-1965, pages 16-17

Mothers' Club, 1963-1965, pages 18-19

Mothers' Club, 1963-1965, pages20-21

Mothers' Club, 1963-1965, pages 22-23

Mothers' Club, 1963-1965, pages 24 and back cover

Thanks to Mary Kinahan, Class of 1960, for sharing her Mom's directory.

Note: The pages were scanned at a high resolution, so you should be able to click on a page and it will open in a larger window for easier reading.

Mothers' Club 1963-65 Officers/Committees and Past Presidents

More Mothers' Club information from the 1963-1965 Mothers' Club booklet.  I think I see some surnames of STA grads that will be attending the September 30 reunion.  Is your Mom on this list?

1963-65 Officers

1963-65 Committee Chairs

Former Mothers' Club Presidents

Again, thanks to Mary Kinahan Kribble (Class of 1960) for sharing her Mom's directory.

In Memoriam - Mary Ellen McMahon Hirsch

Mary Ellen (McMahon) Hirsch, Class of 1960

Mary Ellen Hirsch passed away Saturday, Aug. 11, 2012. She was born Dec. 31, 1945, in Chicago. She was the cherished wife of Donald George Hirsch, to whom she was wed on Sept. 18, 1965; beloved mother of Daniel (Gail) Hirsch, Kelly (Dave) Rodriguez and Kenneth Hirsch; loving grandmother of seven grandchildren, Jack, Samantha, Alexis, Braeden, Sydney, Jarrek and Shelby; and sister of Patrick McMahon. She was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Josephine McMahon. Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 14, at the Williams-Kampp Funeral Home, 430 E. Roosevelt Road (one block east of Naperville Road), Wheaton. The funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 15, at St. Daniel the Prophet Church, 101 W. Loop Road, Wheaton. Please meet at the church. Interment is private. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to ESSE Adult Day Care, 515 S. Wheaton Ave., Wheaton, IL 60187. For information, call 630-668-0016 or visit www.williams-kampp.com.

Published in Chicago Suburban Daily Herald on August 14, 2012

Rita Flanagan Barrett (Class of 1960), thanks for letting us know about Mary Ellen.

Autograph Book - 1968

How many of us have kept our STA Autograph books?  I saw Tom McGrath's (Class of 1960) book at our 50th reunion in 2010.  I still have mine, Elaine McIntyre Beaudoin (Class of 1960) and it seems that Bill Pappas (Class of 1968) still has his.  The boys books were covered in black and the girls in white.

May 29, 1968
Dear Bill,
May you always remain a dear friendd of mine -- I will.  Lots of success in High School and thru the years -
God love you, "I do"
Sr. M. Marcellus, RSM

Bill even has a photo of Sr. Marcellus from 1968:
:

Sr. M. Marcellus, RSM, STA, 1968

Baggers,
You're a ugly creep but I like you.  Good Luck.  Mouse D. A.

Bill reports this is from Antoinette Angelilli. It certainly is more typical of the comments we all had in our autograph books.


Are there anymore pages from STA autograph books out there????

Bill, nice note from the "teacher!"  Thanks so much for sharing.

Sixth Grade, 1949 -- Class of 1951

This sixth grade photo from Bill Moorhead includes their sixth grade teacher, Sr. Carina, RSM.

Sixth Grade, Room 10, 1949 -- Class of 1951

Okay, who can identify these students with Sr. Carina, RSM?

Thanks Bill for the great photo.

Memories from a 1958 Graduate

MY NAME IS EDWARD NEVILLE, I AM FROM THE CLASS OF 1958, MY BROTHER PATRICK RIP. CLASS OF 1959, MY SISTER MARY RIP. CLASS OF 1954, MY OLDER BROTHER JIM WAS 1950. WE LIVED AT 5348 W. WASHINGTON BLVD.

PAT O'CONNOR (1960) WAS OUR NEIGHBOR, AND VIOLET SCALISE (1960) LIVED JUST ACROSS THE STREET FROM US UNTIL HER FAMILY SOLD THEIR HOME TO THE JUSTIN MC CARTHY FAMILY IN THE MID 60S.  JOHN MC CAULIFFE (1960) LIVED ON THE SAME BLOCK, EXCEPT HE LIVED ON THE MADISON STREET SIDE.

KARL VITZTHUM (Architect of STA Church) LIVED ACROSS THE STREET FROM US.  MY MOTHER WAS DAY-TIME NANNY TO HIS GRANDCHILDREN. THERE WERE SO MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORS THAT GRADUATED FROM S.T.A. ON LOREL AVE. THERE WAS THE COITS, ALLISONS, LAUGHLINS, MC CARVILLES, RUSSELS, FOGARTYS, GREENWALLS, FURLONGS, HOLMESES, RIGNEYS, MC GRATHS,  MC KENNAS.  WE HAD FRIENDS ON EVERY BLOCK -- WHAT A TIME.
I LOVE THE PICTURE OF YOU AND THE OTHER 3 GIRLS IN THE BEND (Click here to see post).  THE LAUGHLINS ON LATROBE WERE FRIENDS OF OUR FAMILY.  WE KNEW SO MANY FAMILIES ON LATROBE, LOCKWOOD, LARAMIE, LONG, LOTUS.  WHAT YOU STARTED HERE BRINGS MY HEART, SOUL, AND MIND BACK TO AUSTIN, AND CHILDHOOD, AND SO MANY TENDER AND DEAR MEMORIES.

WE LEFT AUSTIN AND OUR GREAT PARISH IN 1968. BEFORE WE LEFT, FR. MC KENNA AND JUSTIN MC CARTHY GOT ME INTERESTED IN THE ORGANIZATION FOR A BETTER AUSTIN (O.B.A.)  IT WAS A GREAT ATTEMPT AT INTERGRATING AUSTIN IN A SLOW SANE MANNER. BUT THE SOCIAL, POLITICAL, AND ECONOMIC DYNAMICS OF THE TIME WERE AGAINST IT. WE HAD FEAR, PANIC PEDDLING, AND WHITE FLIGHT.  IT WAS A LOSING BATTLE.  IN JUST A FEW SHORT YEARS, SOUTH AUSTIN WENT FROM MOSTLY WHITE TO MOSTLY BLACK.

I WAS LIVING IN THE BIG HOUSE BY MYSELF IN 1967-68. MY FATHER HAD PASSED AWAY.  MY SISTER AND OLDER BROTHER WERE BOTH MARRIED AND LIVING IN DES PLAINES.  MY MOTHER AND OLDER BROTHER BOUGHT A RESTAURANT IN DES PLAINES, SO MY MOTHER AND YOUNGER BROTHER MOVED THERE AND WE HAD TO SELL OUR BIG BEAUTIFUL HOME ON WASH. BLVD.
I HAVE A  CLASS PHOTO SOME WHERE AND A 1958 GRADUATION PHOTO OF THE TWO EIGHT GRADE CLASSES, IN THE CHURCH, ON THE ALTAR, WITH MSGR. LONG.  COULD BE THE LAST GRADUATION CLASS HE POSED WITH.  (See photos in separate post elsewhere on STA Blog)

LAST YEAR I WAS TRYING TO CONTACT  PALOMAR STUDIOS (THE COMPANY THAT DID ALL THE SCHOOL PHOTOS) OVER THE INTERNET.  I WAS INTERESTED IN PURCHASING REPLACEMENT CLASS PHOTOS THAT WE LOST, BUT I WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE PALOMAR. IF ANYONE KNOWS HOW TO GET REPLACEMENT COPIES OF CLASS PHOTOS I AM SURE MANY PEOPLE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HAVING THAT INFORMATION.

Ed, Thanks for the great note and for supplying the photos.  I have put the photos up on two separate posts on the Blog.  
Also -- Does anyone know what happened to all the class photo negatives taken by Palomar?   If so, let us know and I will post the information.

Sixth Grade, c1933 - Class of 1935?

Bill Pappas shared this c1933 photo of his uncle, George Lejeune's class at STA.  It appears the boys and girls were in separate classrooms in 1933.  He notes George is second row from the top, fourth from the right.

Bill, I think your uncle would be pleased you shared his photo!  Thank you.

Photo courtesy: Bill Pappas, Class of 1968

Third Grade, 1946 -- Class of 1951

Sr. Mary Ambrosine, RSM, taught these third graders in 1946.   But, she is not pictured in this March 1946 photo, only Fr. Patrick Rabbitt is pictured.   Hmmmmm?

Third Grade, March 1946, Room 6 -- Class of 1951

Only 36 students pictured here -- the classes were small in the 1940s!!!!!!  Who can name all of these students?

Photo courtesy:  Bill Moorhead (Class of 1951)

1958 Graduation Photo

Photo provided by Ed Neville (Class of 1958) via Nancy T. O'Connor.

Ed also sent me a list of names of individuals in the photo, not in any particular order, he tells me.  Of the 84 students pictured, he was able to identify 68.  Great memory!  And, of course, Msgr. William Long is sitting in the center!

THE BOYS---

EDWARD NEVILLE,DONALD FREHE,TERRANCE MC CAULIFFE,DONALD BIRDSELL,ROBERT CRONIN, STANLEY GURICH, THOMAS KAVANAGH, JAMES WALSH, DOUGLAS JACKSON, THOMAS LOESCH, NED SANTORA, IRWIN MATTHEWS, ROBERT MAYER, JOHN DISANTO, DAVID FAY, THOMAS SEDWICK, THOMAS CARR, EDWARD MULKERIN, ROBERT WILLIE, BERNARD OTTO, WILLAM KRUGER, DONALD ZORC, RONALD ZORC, THOMAS CIPRANO, FRANK RADKE, MICHAEL FLAVIN, CHARLES OR FRANK MURPHY, JOSEPH JACKO, LAWRENCE ULMAN, JOHN MULLINS, JAMES BRECKEN, CARL MC DONALD, BYRON JOYCE, JOHN QUINLIN AND THERE WAS BUCKY BOROWSKI, AND BOOTSIE CLARK, I DON'T REMEMBER BORWOSKI OR CLARK'S FIRST NAMES BUCKY AND BOOTSIE WERE THEIR NICK NAMES

THE GIRLS---

ANN REITHAL, DIANE INDELICATO, NANCY KEATING, THERESA RIGNEY, JUDY WELTON, MARGARET ROTCHFORD, BETTY BOGAN, PAT NOOR, PAT WARD, MERIKAY FOGERTY, JOELLEN KERIVAN, PAT PROVENZALE, PAT MAHONEY, JOANN CLEARY, MARGARET ROCHE, KATHLEEN DUGAN, NANCY MARTIN, DONNA JOHNSON, BETTY MUZIK, GEORGIANNE NOONE, MAUREEN O'CONNOR, JOAN HAAS, MARY RUTH, ANNAMARIE BELMONTE, JOANN MANGHUN, LYNN STOLL, CAROLE ACRE, CATHY LOVING, MAUREEN HICKEY, A HUNT GIRL I NEVER KNEW HER FIRST NAME, BUT SOME CALLED HER CHICKIE HUNT, MARY HUNTNER, MARYANN MCENDY--I THINK THERE WAS A GIRLNAMED KERNIHAN AS WELL.     

Edward -- Thanks so much for providing the photos and sharing with us your memory of the names of students in your class.  Does anyone else remember others in the photo and/or corrections to the list of names?
 

Ned Santora (Class of 1958) identified several others in the photo including:
Mary Kay Kernin, Rita Garrison, Patricia Werner, Dale Parry, Mary Cathrine Coyne, Patricia Hartigan, Thomas Russo ??, Madiline McGuinn??, John Quinlisk, Clarence Bucky Borowski, John Riordon,  Mary Ann Matthews ??,  Jerome Osborne ??,  Thomas Plunkett ??, Christine Henning,   Mike Vogel ??,  George Dutra ??,  Dombroski ??,   Henry Babcock ??, Shawn the dog.

Not sure about that last name!  Thanks Ned for the additional information.

September 30 Reunion Update

 We have just received word...... 

We have access to the old School building!

So bring your walking shoes on September 30 to walk off the pastries and reminisce in the hallways and classrooms of the former St. Thomas Aquinas school building.

For those concerned, we have also learned both the Church and school building, including the Canteen, are handicapped accessible.

First Holy Communion, 1955 - Class of 1962

Always amazed the photographer could get these many students to stand still in Church.  What a wonderful First Holy Communion photo.

It is believed the altar boy holding the cross is Pete Kelley (Class of ?).

First Holy Communion, November 1955, Class of 1962

Do you think Msgr. Long ever got tired of posing in all these photos?

Apologies to the communicants at the left edge of the photo -- the original was cropped many years ago.

Bill Clarkson, Class of 1962, thanks for sharing this special photo.

A 1962 Alum's Memories

Carol Anne Guglielmo Bock (Class of 1962) shares some of her random memories of her years at St. Thomas Aquinas:

One of my stories is that I use to arrive early in order for Sr. Eunice to lift me up to dust the statue of St. Thomas at the top of the stairs of the entry to the school!  I thought that was really special.

Another was our trip to the Brookfield Zoo (maybe 6th grade) where we sat on the big stone lions and Patti Carr, Kathy Kernaghan, Carre Segerson and myself all dressed alike with pink and white striped tops and pleated white skirts.  Jimmy Erwin is pictured on one of the lions with me.  Don't know where he is these days, but he did go to St. Joe H.S. in Westchester.

I have a picture of Gary Kelley in his "crossing guard" uniform.

I remember going down to the back door on the ground level of the school to help get the trays of milk cartons to be delivered to the classrooms, interesting that we had that since everyone went home for lunch.  (Editor note: I remember having milk, not at lunch but as a break in the class day)

We did have an eighth grade trip to Springfield, Ill. to visit the home of Lincoln and other sites.  I have pix of that.

Ok...here's the risky one--I was kissed in the phone booth at the bottom of the stairs outside the Canteen during a dance.  (Name of "kisser" withheld to protect the innocent)

Kathy Kernaghan and I use to slip away to go to the bathroom on the second floor and we would practice our "jitterbug" dance together, sometimes with a small "transistor radio"--don't know how we smuggled that in! 

We had to wear those "chapel veils" that looked like a small doilies on our heads to church because our heads had to be covered. 

Our 3rd grade room had the iron fire escape outside the door and we had to put it down when there was a fire drill. Always a scary event! 

When we came in to Sr. Honore's classroom in the morning, we had sentences on the board to "diagram" while waiting to start the day. And when the phone rang in the office while Sr. was teaching, I had to run in there and answer it, "Good morning, St. Thomas Aquinas student speaking, how can I help you?" I guess I was a trustworthy kid.

Cathy McGrath was chosen to do the May crowning of Mary in the church.

And, we were cheerleaders I think for 7th and 8th grade.  We had navy sweatshirts and navy pleated skirts.  Also, Deedee Meyer, daughter of Coach Ray Meyer, came to the "gym" and taught us girls basketball!

By pooling their respective memories, Kathy Kernaghan Xaverius, Carol Guglielmo Bock, Carroll Segerson, Patti Carr, Pat Capizzi and Gary Kelley provide a list of teachers at STA 1954-1962:

First Grade:   Sister Aloysius - Sister Immaculata 

Second Grade:   Sister Eunice - Sister Alberta

Third Grade:   Sister Theodora - Miss Lane

Fourth Grade:   Mrs. Jones - Sister Cyril

Fifth Grade:   Miss Flanagan - Sister Honore/Sr. Beatrice*

Sixth Grade:    Mr. Fogli - Sister Malcolm

Seventh Grade:    Miss Mercurio - Sister Francesca 

Eighth Grade:  Sister Beata - Sister Cassandra 

Sister Giovanni was our original Principal and later Sister Honore.

Great times and wonderful memories.

Carol, these truly are wonderful memories.  Thanks for sharing them with us. On September 30, you will have to check and see if that phone booth is still there outside of the Canteen!  

And to the rest of you, it is wonderful you haven't forgotten the great teachers we had at STA, thank you.  *Bill Clarkson, thanks for adding Sr. Beatrice to the list of teachers.

Second Grade, 1945 - Class of 1951

Bill Moorhead sent a great 1949 second grade photo.  The photo looks like it was taken in front of the stage on the third floor of the school.  The image on the curtain is quite interesting.  Does anyone remember what the image is?

Second Grade, Room 1, 1945 -- Class of 1951

Bill tells us that Sr. Mary Borgia, RSM, was his teacher in second grade.  Who can name all these students?


Merci, Bill.

First Grade, Room 3, 1951 - Class of 1958

A great first grade photo from Ed Neville, Class of 1958.  You can see it has been much "loved!"

First Grade, Room 3, Winter, 1951 -- Class of 1958

Note from Ed Neville:

I DO REMEMBER SOME OF THIS CLASS.  I AM SITTING IN THE LAST ROW.  I AM THE THIRD CHILD IN THAT ROW (BY THE WINDOW).

I ALSO RECOGNIZE BYRON JOYCE, DALE PERRY, FRED SCHMIDT, JIM BREEKEN, PHILIP SHEEN, NANCY MARTIN, JIM DOMBROWSKI, JOHN NALLEN, ROGER DOHERTY,
CLIFFORD HUTCHINSON, BOOTSIE CLARK, MAUREEN HICKEY, AND PENNY NOONE.

ANY ADDITIONS OR CORRECTIONS ARE WELCOMED GOD BLESS EVERYONE.  I LOVE YOU ALL


Ed, Thanks for the wonderful photo of your first grade class.  Can anyone identify others in this photo?

Seventh Grade, Room 13, 1949 -- Class of 1950

Another great photo from Ed Neville from his brother Jim's class.

Room 13, 1949, Grade 7, Class of 1950

Note from Ed Neville:  THIS WAS MY OLDER BROTHER JIM'S CLASS.  HE'S THE GOOD LOOKING GUY SITTING IN THE LAST ROW BY THE WINDOW IN THE VERY LAST SEAT, HEAD UP AGAINST THE BLACKBOARD. I DON'T RECOGNIZE ANYONE ELSE

Thanks Ed, for sharing your precious photo.

Teachers from 1950-1958

Ed Neville (Class of 1958) shared the names of many of the Sisters and lay teachers he remembers from his years at STA:

Sr. Giovanni was the principal, but he tells us that her niece also was at St. Thomas Aquinas AND was a principal too?  Her name was Sr. Honore.  (She was the principal while I was at STA in the late 1950s.)

He also remembers Sr. Immaculata, Sr. Alfred, Sr. Eva, Sr. Agnes, Sr. Cecilia, Sr. Beatrice, and Sr. Aloysius.  As well as Mrs. Leonard and Miss Jones.

We are all thankful to these incredible women who helped create the individuals we are today.

Thanks Ed for remembering.

1932 Graduation Booklet Advertisements

Some of the businesses which advertised in the STA graduation booklet for 1932 were still very much in business in the 1960s.  How many do you recognize?:

Thanks to Maura Cagney Leus for sharing parts of her father's 1932 Graduation booklet.  Edward John Cagney, Class of 1932.

Grade 8, January 1962 - Class of 1962

Here we have one of the 1962 eighth grade classes.  Notice there are both boys and girls.   It seems that the Sisters became more liberal and allowed the classes to mix -- not so in 1960 when the girls and boys were in separate classrooms!

Grade 8, Room 15, January 1962, Class of 1962

First row:  Gale Kryzak, Judy Vergara, Charlene Reis, Kathy Affatato, Linda
Belmonte, Palma DeChristefano, Eileen Cronin, Carol Guglielmo and Mary Jay
Sheridan.

Second row:  Jim Erwin, Angela Leodoro, Jimmy Duff, Tom Ruscik, Mike Ryan,
Mary Doyle, Judy Megrant, Tom Reimer, Mike Santoro, Joey Holmes and Vito
Mangiardi.

Third row:  Mike Amorella, Pat Moncada, Bill Clarkson, Margaret Kinahan,
Tim Callahan, Deanna Meadows, Robert McGowan, Catherine McGrath and Bill
Conroy.

Fourth row:  John Birkett, Pat Kelliher, Ronald Korkorz, Kathy Kernaghan,
Tommy D'Amato, Gary Kelley, Pat Carr, John Dobias, Catherine Jacobs and Bob
Birkett.

Fifth row:  Linda Icavetti, George LeJeune, Regina Widmann, Rudy Trybalski,
Tom Wietzema, Frank Mullins, Noreen Griffin, Greg Heffernan and Maureen
Maloney.


Bill Clarkson's note with the photo: "In case you're wondering, the photo came in a folder that had all the names listed.  No way would I try to rely on my memory alone."

Bill Clarkson (Class of 1962), thanks so much for sharing this photo of your class AND for providing the names of each student. The fact that you could FIND the photo means you have a great memory!

1951 Graduating Class

Graduating Class 1951

Great photo from William Moorhead (Class of 1951) with Msgr. Long in the center.  Bill, where are you in the photo?  Thanks so much Bill.

First Grade, Room 4, 1955 - Class of 1962

This wonderful picture is a first grade photo of the Class of 1962.  Bill Clarkson (Class of 1962) who provided this special picture, tells me he has photos from ALL of the years right up to the 1962 graduation photo.  So, 1962 grads, you are in for a treat -- eight years of photos.  As they are received, they will be posted on the STA Blog.

Since this is Room 4, that must be Sr. Immaculata in the back of the classroom?  Now, who can name all the studetns in the photo? 

First Grade, Room 4, Class of 1962

Bill, thanks so much for the first of many Class of 1962 photos