2001 calendar on sale in December

The social studies curriculum at Brockport’s Hill School includes local history, but students here take lessons from the past a step further and make them into something everyone in the present can use – calendars.

For the second year, fourth and fifth grade students from Eileen Jungbluth, Mary Wanzer and Mary Quinn’s classes have chosen images and information from Brockport’s past and created an educational document that doubles as a calendar.

The three teachers received a state historic archives grant last year that allowed them to purchase a digital camera for taking photographs of old pictures and documents. The grant also gave the classes funds for extra local field trips and printing costs.

Students spent September and October researching Brockport history, both at school and in the community at places like the Emily L. Knapp Museum of Local History, the SUNY Brockport local history archives, the Morgan Manning House, and the local history room of the Seymour Library.

Sorting through dozens of old photographs, the students chose the Capen Hose Fire House, the First National Bank, Dobson Drugs and Old Home Days images, along with several others. They searched each topic thoroughly, although some had little documentation.

"We could only find one paragraph about Old Home Days," said Sam Jett, referring to a celebration that used to welcome former Brockport residents back for a visit.

Each student will receive a copy of the calendar and the rest will be sold for $5. Calendars can be purchased at the Hill School (637-1850), the Morgan Manning’s Candlelight Christmas sale December 1 and 2, Mailboxes, Etc., and the village and town halls.

Proceeds from the calendar sales are used to fund the next year’s round of picture taking and printing. But enough money was raised last year to allow the classrooms to make a donation to the Soldier’s Memorial Tower. This year, any extra money will be donated to the Capen Fire House Museum