Fillmore High Alumni Association

I’m turning 100 years old on March 23, 2011 and I’d like to share some childhood memories of my times in the Fillmore schools. Because of a series of childhood illnesses, I was eight when I entered the old grammar school on Mountain View St. My first teacher was Miss Arthur. The principal, Mr. Horton, often visited our classroom during the day. The reason: He was courting Miss Arthur!

When I first started school at the age of eight, I began in low first grade, but was soon promoted to high first. I was then promoted to high second, then low third. Before the school years was out, I was promoted to high third where I caught up with others of my own age.

In fourth grade, our classroom was a converted hallway. We were outgrowing the school. When I was in sixth grade, we moved to the new school. Then at midterm our class entered junior high. Now our classes were in the basement of the old high school. We had crowding problems even then.

I entered high school midterm and could complete high school in either 3 ½ or 4 ½ years. There was no midterm graduation, so, I, along with others in my class, chose 3 ½ years. The first semester we doubled up on English and Algebra, dong a year’s work in one semester. Then we were assimilated into the regular class schedule.
During my high school years, Fillmore High School had a good football team and an outstanding basketball team which won the Southern California Conference. The same boys played both football and basketball.

Since I lived on the Montebello Oil Lease, I rode the bus to school. There were our bus routes: Bardsdale, Montebello, Piru and Sespe, but only two buses. The buses would go to Montebello and Sespe early. We arrived at school an hour early so we went to study hall of sometimes played tennis. After school we were the first bus to leave and were quickly returned to our homes. The Piru and Bardsdale students got to school just before the bell ran, but they had to hang around after school. A lot of time was spent on the lawn waiting for the bus, as no one was allowed to leave the school grounds to go to town.

Often on hot days, since there was no air conditioning, our teacher would hold classes outside on the lawn.
In the spring of 1928, before graduation, the seniors had a ditch day. We went to the pier at Santa Monica where I won a Mickey Mouse statue which I still have. This was one of the first Mickey Mouse statues in existence. It is made of wood and is about 4 inches tall.

Before graduation, there was a Junior-Senior banquet and a church service. The graduation was held in the high school auditorium with all the girls wearing white dresses. The class of 1928 was the largest class to date. There were 47 of us. We were a combination of students who graduated at 3 1/2, 4 and 4 ½ years of high school.

Often in the Flashbacks, a daisy arch is mentioned. Instead of the daisy arch, we had a flower march. Each senior had a flower girl, and at the conclusion of the ceremonies, the flower girls, arms loaded with flowers, would march to the stage and give the graduates the flowers. Friends and family saved flowers for their special graduate. When the March was finished, the stage was a mass of flowers with only the grads’ heads protruding. It was a wonderful and memorable sight!

Thank you Fillmore High for having a great Alumni Association.