This page is dedicated to the Robert Morris/Inter-American Magnet School.
Feel free to write Keith Mandell, the creator of this page, with any suggestions. My e-mail address is kmandell2000@yahoo.com
Robert Morris elementary school was founded in the
late 19th century at 919 West Barry in the great city of Chicago. It was
a neighborhood school, attracting students from the surrounding neighborhood
of Lakeview. Lakeview is the same neighborhood that contains Wrigley Field,
home of the 2003 World Champion Chicago Cubs.
In 1983, Robert Morris School was joined
with the Inter-American Magnet School. Inter-American brought bilingualism
to Morris School, with the progressive concept that children of all cultural
backgrounds should be taught both English and Spanish at all levels of their
education, and in all their classes. The result is students who score far
above the national average in standardized tests and have a broader appreciation
of our multicultural society.
Fall 1981: This is an assembly from third grade. Notice our auditorium
functions as a gymnasium. Nice touch! The teacher in the foreground is Mrs.
Fonseca, who was our second and third grade teacher.
More Photos to Come (They will be scanned!)
Here are a few statistics on my years at Robert Morris/Inter-American:
1. Kindegarten- 1977-1978- Teacher: Mrs. Kaplan; Room: 112. What we learned: Finger Painting, story time, Reading (me and Eefie), Songs ("I know an Old Woman" and the train song), etc. We had a lot of assemblies where we sang patriotic American songs Friends: Diane, Damian, Eric.
2. First Grade- 1978-1979- Teacher: Mrs. Rosenstein; Room 200. What we learned: cursive writing (oh no!), math, reading (levels 4 to 8 "The Dog Next Store","How it is Now Days"). Other teachers: Mrs. Lancaster (advanced math i.e. calculus (just kidding). Friends: Diane, Eric, Damian, Desaun
3. Second Grade- 1979-1980- Teacher: Mrs. Fonseca; Room 303. What we learned: Addition and Subtraction, Multiplication tables, "Allouette", etc. Friends: Diane, Damian, DeSaun, Orlando, Eric.
4. Third Grade- 1980-1981 Teacher: Mrs. Fonseca (Again!); Room 303. What we learned: Multiplication (with Mrs. Meraz), advanced reading (with Mr. Willinitz) Friends: Diane, Jenny, Reuben, Adrian, Yesina, Sybelle
5. Fourth Grade: 1981-1982- Teacher: Ms. Junnel (till 2/82); Ms. Dorn. Room 310. What we learned: Reading (with those hokey Board of Ed workbooks) Math, Creative Writing (with librarian Mrs. Soibel). Friends: Jenny, Hieu Diane, Reuben, Yesina, Sybelle, Adrian, Jerome (till he moved 11/81).
6. Fifth Grade: 1982-1983-Teacher: Ms. Warner (till 2/83); Mrs. Meraz (!). Room 213. What we learned: Reading and Math. Computers (at last!) on hokey Apple II's (with Mrs. Soibel), but it was fun. We were also taight computers by devry, which I never quite understood, but always aced. Friends: Jenny, Hieu, Diane, Yesina, Sybelle.
7. Sixth Grade: 1983-1984: Teacher: Mr. Peacock (till 2/84); Ms. Goldberg. Room 208. What we learned: Computers, Spanish! (with Mrs. Reyes), Reading (with Mrs. Maldonado), Science (with Mrs. Rubacalba). Friends: Hieu, Yesina, Sybelle, Diane.
8. Seventh Grade: 1984-1985: Teacher: Ms. Amaro. Room 213 What we learned: Reading (with Mr. Laggatutta), Stuff about Greece and Rome (Ms. Amaro), Computers (Mrs. Soibel) Spanish, Spanish culture (with Mrs. Reyes, all in Spanish of course, though I could not understand a word). Friends: Hieu, Diane, Yesina, Sybelle, Selvin.
9. Eighth Grade: 1985-1986: Teacher: Mr. Laggatutta. Room 211. what we learned: Computers, Spanish, Reading (with Ms. Junnel and Mrs. Myrenicks), Art (with several teachers including Mrs. Fonseca, and a library teacher who spoke only in Spanish), Career class (which was hokey and more like pycho therapy), Math (Algebra classes taken at UIC with Dr. Steve Jordan). I graduated on June 18, 1986 from the Vic Theater in Chicago! Friends: Everyone at the school (just kidding! But it was an awesome year!)
Eighth Grade graduates (Photo taken May 1986)
I wonder what are these folks are up to now.. . .hmmm. . . . Anyone interested in having a reunion please let me know! See ya! Return to my Home Page and check it out!