Hill fourth-graders go back in time
to create 2002 calendar

Fourth-graders at Fred W. Hill School in Brockport are not only learning about local history, but helping the community learn as well. The classes of Eileen Jungbluth, Mary Quinn and Mary Wanzer have been researching Brockport's history since September and have created a calendar for 2002 that features many of the photographs, drawings and historical facts they've gathered. Among them are photos of a packet boat on the Erie Canal, the Strand Theater and Main Street in the 1800's, Giles Hoyt, who was the town's first police chief and served from 1897 to 1940, and a drawing of the Seymour residence where the village offices are now located.

"We start by walking around town so we can see the different types of architecture, then visiting the Seymour Library and Brockport Museum," said Quinn. "Then the students break into teams of five or six and each worked on a month, choosing a photo or drawing and typing the information. They're very careful about being accurate."

This year's calendar is the third the classes have produced. "The fourth-grade curriculum includes local history and this is a fun way of doing it because it's so hands-on," Quinn said. She, along with Jungbluth and Wanzer, applied for a grant through the New York State Archives and Records Department to get the project started. The money they earn from the sale of the calendars is used to produce next year's calendar and any extra is donated to a local organization. This year, the classes made a donation to the Capen Hose Fire Museum. Calendars are still available for sale at the Brockport village offices, Arjuna Florist, Lift Bridge Books, the Millhouse Restaurant and Mail Boxes Etc., or by sending a check for $5 to Fred W. Hill School, 40 Allen Street, Brockport 14420.