the Out-of-Door School

Fifty years after graduating, I decided to return once more.

Got invited to an alumni gathering for the Out-Of-Door School on the island that I grew up on, where I attended Kindergarten through the 8th grade (1955-1964). I was reluctant to go back, I even refused on several prior occasions to take-up their annual invite. But this time, I finally went on a mission to find something on the old school grounds, that today, I thought I could find - my old inscribed stone block.  The riding stables were long gone, the Gulf "swims" were gone - and my dog, once sitting under my classroom desk, was gone.  The short visit turned out to be mostly memories - just blurred fond old memories.


In the old auditorium, I photographed a B&W print of the original sign & entrance off of Ocean Blvd.

The front entrance of the island school, now celebrating it's 90th year.  Today, it is the remaining historic portion of the lower school campus.

The math and science room as I remember.

Student murals in the old office.

The stage in the auditorium is today, pretty much as it was way back when - minus the plastic chair.

For show-and-tell, I brought in my old stool from the original Gulf side "dining hall", that as young students we each had made by-hand.

1957 - Riding "English" at the annual ODS 'Horse Show' (Out-of-Door School stables)

1964 - The year I graduated from ODS - as the "quiet one".  The year my mother died.

Upon arriving at the reunion, surprisingly, they handed me a name tag since there were not more than twelve ex-students (alumni) in attendance.  And, in all ages ranging from, a spry 93 year old - to a young 21 year old. (The "school" today is now referred to as the Out-of-Door Academy).

I did find one family inscribed stone below.  My son Matt had made this, while attending "ODS" nearly 30 years after my time.  My stone, which I initially went back in search of - now scattered amongst the others, and once forming the walkway to the front office - was elusive and still hidden, somewhere on the grounds.