Memorial School Students Explore History of School and City

A number of 8th Grade students have come forward to explore history and work on behalf of the Memorial Garden.  They call themselves the “Garden Angels” which unknowing to them is only too appropriate if for nothing else than the fact the garden honors children who were killed in a tragic fire in the community.

The 8th Grade students were given a lesson a few months ago on the Collinwood School Fire which gave rise to the Memorial Garden which sits outside their door and the naming of now a second school on that site to honor the events that took place on this site on 4 March 1908. From this lesson which even included a fire drill, the students were asked to write a reaction to a written report on the Collinwood School Fire.  These papers were then displayed at Memorial School’s Fall Festival in October. These papers are in the possession of the Collinwood Nottingham Historical Society and can be seen on their website.

I do have to say that all those papers written were done so voluntarily; thank you Ladies for your observations and reactions to what you read.  As a result of finishing this first written assignment and coming to the Fall Festival of Literacy at the school they were allowed to come on a field trip Downtown.

Coming Downtown for these young ladies I believe was exciting and they didn’t know where to look first.  After coming downtown on a bus from the neighborhood we greeted them at City Hall where they learned about Cleveland history, about City Hall and their Cleveland City Council. Then we walked to the Oliver Hazard Perry statue at West 3rd and Lakeside Avenue and then to the Soldiers & Sailors Monument at Public Square to hear about War of 1812 and Civil War history as it relates to Collinwood. Then it was lunch at Tower City.  I was exhausted by the end of the day but I hope that these ladies had a great time downtown.

Next up is another classroom lesson on a subject of their choosing and then planning for the Spring at the Garden.  The 4th of March will bring these students outside for a Memorial at the garden.

We look forward to continuing to work with these and other students as well as the teachers and staff of Memorial.  Thank you for some extracurricular learning in your busy schedules.

Teaching history of the Collinwood community and the City of Cleveland is a part of the mission of the Collinwood Nottingham Historical Society.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU AND YOURS!!!!

John Copic

Resident of neighborhood since 1956. Worked on East 185th street since 1970.

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Volume 6, Issue 11, Posted 2:57 PM, 01.24.2015