St. Mary School Swormville -

The St. Mary School Swormville Class of 1974 is holding it's 50th reunion this year in conjunction with St. Mary's Picnic Weekend, also during the 175th anniversary year for our faith community! The classmates will convene Saturday evening after St. Mary's outdoor Mass at 4:30 pm at the Chowder Chase after-party, and share memories & laughs, as well as a tour of their Alma-mater.

Mr. Jeffries, who taught the Class of '74 in third grade was also able to join the group! They visited his old classroom (now grade 2), and recounted where in the room each person's desk was. Other fond memories the group recalled on their tour included sitting in the lower elementary hallway on chairs to watch footage of the moon landing on a projector screen in 1969 when they were in grade 4, as well as getting in trouble for breaking windows in the lower level of the school while practicing hockey in the parking lot! They marveled at the middle school classrooms on the lower level, which was once entirely open with no walls and housed the cafeteria.

When asked to share some of their fondest memories together at St. Mary School, the classmates contributed the following:

"As students at St. Mary’s, we spent a lot of time together. From third grade on we were combined into one class. We grew up together, and these were some of the best times of our lives. There is always great joy running into a former classmate or another St. Marys’ alum. The friendships that we made while attending St. Mary’s have been deep and lasting, and for many of us lifelong. Several of us from the Class of 1974 continue to socialize together frequently. We interact often and share the events of each other’s lives whether they be good or bad. The priests, faculty, and staff at St. Mary’s were very memorable. They always had words of encouragement for us, inspired us to do our best, and attempted to help set us on the right path in life. The curriculum that our teachers covered contained the necessary raw material, but the warmth, wit, and compassion of our educators enlightened our minds and grew our souls."

Some specific collective memories the “Core of ‘74” shared are as follows:

• The sound of the bell used to call us back in the building after recess

• Singing with the children’s choir for every funeral mass

• Attending 7:30 am mass daily

• Playing “keep away” daily during lunchtime – the girls against the boys

• Standing and chanting “Good morning, ________” when someone of authority came into the room.

• Walking around in a circle in the hallway to change classes in the upper grades

• Playing "silent seat ball"

• Lining up shortest to tallest

• Building a zoo with Pa-pier-Mache

• Clapping blackboard erasers on the side of the building (it was considered an honor if you were selected)

• The book-mobile coming to the school grounds

• Boys helping mow the lawn at the cemetery

• The school basement containing the lunchroom, art class, nurse’s office, & music classroom

• May Day

• Sr. Jeanne taking the girls to the convent one afternoon to bake cookies. (We think it was a fun math exercise to reinforce fractions!)

• Mrs. Dreher’s science classes: dissections, measuring with scales & beads (beads were on the floor more than they were on the scale), identifying unknown substances

• Class trips: Fort Niagara, retreats, Crystal Beach (we learned Sr. Jeanne had hair when her veil blew off on the Wild Mouse ride!)

• Moms that used to go on field trips with us and were lunch “mom”iters. Always so nice – like having your own mom there!

• The abundance of Tom’s in our class – three of them!

• Helping at the church picnic – working booths, cutting veggies for chowder, Monday cleanup