The cover of the book, “50 Shades of Grades, My Journey Through Wacademia,” was designed by Blue Sun Studios Deb Dorchak. The photo is actually of my third grade class from Fifth Street Grade School in Clairton, PA. The school building was built as a high school for the growing population of Clairton, but it was soon bursting at the seams with students who were children of mill workers. The solution was to build another bigger high school across the street and that became Clairton High School which today is the school for the entire Clairton School District.
The old Fifth Street Elementary School was topped by a huge bell that rang each morning. As the building aged, however, the weight of the bell became too much for the structure to bear and the bell was removed and placed at the entryway to the school.
Miss Heidrick’s third grade class, as pictured in the photo on the front of the book, included Top Row: Lloyd Roberts, Dennis Terzich, Raymond Guffy, Judy Forsythe, Miss Heirdick, Judy Pierosh, Patricia Fodella, Marian Pastore, and Ronald Knight.
Middle Row: Larry Triglia, Chester Ignatzek, Larry Grimenstine, Danny Costello, Frank Fiore, Yours Truly, Andy Nixon, Dominic LEccia, Dennis Nagy, Paul Bratton, Paul Haggerty, Edward Auslander (sent me the photo).
Front Row: Richard Baxter, Geraldine Harding, Louise Socan, Charlotte Laubham, Mary Louise Miller, Andrea Papson, Barbara Cundra, Clyde Desiderio, William Alahouzes.
It was a great class!
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