WILLIAM FLOYD SCHOOL

The Early Years Updates

UPDATED SEP 14. 2009

Recently I've had a rash of new photos and contacts from "The Kids" who went to Floyd Grammar & High School during the years that I have featured on this website...and that's great! Also I'm happy to say it has reconnected more than a few old friends who have seen neither hide nor hair of each other in decades. I've had a few like Frank Savarese "Class of 60" or Paul McCormack '62 help fill in some of the blanks or make corrections on the names posted under all those class pics folks have been kind enough to send my way....also have heard from some who had the sad news of reporting a name to be added to the Kids Who Left Too Soon page. But life is what happens to you while your making other plans ain't it? er isn't it! Sorry Mr. T!

Anyway to try and add all the new photos into the existing pages is just too time consuming for me right now as I'm trying to write three books based on the entire website, and speaking of that some of you out there learned about the website via word of mouth or e mail and only knew about the Floyd pages. For those of you who spent any quality time in the Mastic area during these years you are really going to enjoy poking through the rest of the website as there are literally hundreds of photos and memories of all types sprinkled through out. I have also discovered from talking with some of you that computers are still strange things (Hey They Weren't Around When We Went To school at least not the personal kind) along with what they call computer literacy.

Not to worry ...but to get the most out of what I've been adding in to the website for five years now, when you see a link Take It! But only after you have finished reading or looking at what you already have on your screen.....otherwise your going to get lost. What's a link you say?...It's an underlined word or phrase (like this) that by clicking your mouse or cursor on will transport you to something related to what you have just seen or read. It might be as simple as a enlarged photo or document but it might be a whole other can of worms....just take your time and enjoy it...and as always I really enjoy hearing from everyone whether or not we knew each other in school or not.

E Mail

A LONG, LONG, TIME AGO

Those are opening words to Don McClean's American Pie .....and here are the closing and opening 8th grade graduation pictures of the little school in Moriches we knew as The Annex. The first one may well be the last 8th grade class to graduate in that building and that would be in June of 1951. The second one I know a lot more about. It was taken in June of 1952, but I have never seen it till this week when Marty Van Lith copied it for me from the Mastic - Shirley - Moriches Library.

MR. THOMAS !!!! MY YOU WERE JUST A KID YOURSELF Circa 1951

I believe he was doubling at this time as both teacher & principal. In the class with him are Janet Glass, Florence Collins Pulsonetti, Helen Warmachuck Donna Holcombe,Dan Batilla, Ernie Bindell, Robert Pace, Jimmy Gleason and George Burge (Clarence's brother?)

JUNE 1952

These are the last kids to go to Moriches School for the 8th grade and they are the first kids to ever sit on the stage at the brand spanking new William Floyd School. How do I know you ask ? Because it's my big sister Gerry Joseph's class. The school building was not even finished yet but the auditorium / gym was. (Floyd officialy opened it's doors for classes in September of 1952). I now think I know why I never saw this photo. My sister is one unhappy camper about something (I think it's her puffy sleeves) and she looks more like a stern old school marm rather than a 12 year old kid ready to hit Beach 10 before going on to Center Moriches High School in the fall. Actually it was a severe case of Poison Ivt and she almost couldn't go to the ceremony. She was covered in calamine lotion. I wasn't there that night, but would be there in September for kindergarten. My sister is on vacation now but when she returns she might help me with some more names or she might give me hell for posting a photo of her with that look. I recognize Barbara Hall (Davis), Patrick Arthur Domke

The complete list of grads is added below

A few other faces look familiar but names are not coming. If you know who's who hit the email button. Lest I incur my sisters wrath putting that picture online ....and I have seen it and written about it on here, before , I am going to add in this one taken in December of 1958 that was in all the local papers including the Shirley News. Always the promotor Walter T. Shirley tied in the fact that although Gerri was from Mastic Beach, she once worked in his Howard Johnson's...taking a cue from old Walter T, might I point out the article on William Floyd alongside sis' pic!

I JUST FOUND THIS PROGRAM FROM THE ABOVE MENTIONED 8th GRADE GRADUATION

HELD IN THE ALMOST COMPLETED NEW WILLIAM FLOYD SCHOOL IN JUNE OF 1952

Lots Of Familiar Names Here

Many Members Of The Above Faculty Were There For Most Of My Years At Floyd

Mrs. Walker seemed to always be there. Miss Fechtmann was my Kindergarten teacher three months later

Miss Pearl Chewens became Mrs. Wilshaw and a substitute teacher. Mr. Wilshaw taught science

Mrs. Tribble was my 3rd grade teacher 1955-56, & Mrs. Raynor taught 6th grade class in '57- 58

_____________________

A 1st GRADE AT THE ANNEX 1953-54

Photo courtesy Wanda Jendral

I seem to recall a few faces here of future Class of '65 Kids Some are in my Kindergarten class pic on this page

Front: Bobby Frankson .Tommy Albertina, Carol Calabria ___?__ . Mary Caruso, Mary Ellen Reichert? Doris Erikson, Fern Cohen, Calvin Barnes, __?__

Row2: _?_, The Haunter From Kinder, _?- . Sam Gianinno, Billy Foster, Don Hulse, Howie Bullock, _? I Know That Face_, _?_

Row3:_?_ Wanda Jendral, ? Also In The Kinder Pic, _?_, _?_, Georgette DiBatto?

MR. SULLIVAN'S 5TH GRADE AFTERNOON SESSION AT THE ANNEX 1955-56

Photo courstesy Larry Collins

Larry sent me ths really nice sized photo of his 5th grade class many who would go on to graduate in 1963 and some in 1964 . These were during the days of split sessions. Starting at the back of the room L to R are Florence Donahue , Gary Kubala, Mr. Sullivan Second row Standing : _______?. John Marto, Terry Pascale, Gertrude Bortcheller, Gene Vassil, Jim Manzanillo, John Stewart, Jim O'Donnell. ____? Nancy DeLaVergne, Anthony Padjeko Rear row seated: Tony Schicatano aka Tony McCauldy, Dennis Lasko, Lenore Staiger . Center Row : Larry Collins, ___?,___?, _____? Front Row : Maryann Moorhus, Carol Bellville, Carol Bremner

( If you want to see it full size and be able to read the posters & classwork hanging up just click here)

MRS CONLEY'S 3rd Grade 1955-56

ANOTHER ON LOCATION SHOT, GATHER CLOSE TOGETHER KIDS, NO NEED TO LINE UP

Boy do I remember those desks facing each other. Half the kids had to play Linda Blair in the Exorcist to see the blackboard

Photo Wanda Jendral

That's Wanda sitting to the right of my old pal Larry Schulz dead center in the bow tie. This was the first year Larry & I had seperate teachers since first grade. In the crowd I see Mary Ann Lagumis, Arty Riker, Don O'Brien, Mary Caruso, Don Hulse with his eyes closed, One of the Gawolski Twins, Pam Serine, Faye Hendrickson, Louis Muller, Fred Weismen, Doris Erikson, Georgette DiBatto, John Ranzinger, Ray Deery? Lorraine Marshak , Judy Mezzapelle and more familiar faces

AHH .....THE EIGHT GRADE

It was such a pivotal year for so many of us. Especially the early Floyd pioneers. Until 1956 it was the end of the line for going to Floyd. After that it was off to either Center Moriches or Port Jefferson for public high school, Seton Hall in Patchogue, Mercy High in Riverhead (parochial) , or LaSalle Military Academy in Oakdale for higher learning . After 1956 it was one grade per year until we shipped out the first bunch of High School grads in June of 1960. And that also worked in reverse, as some of the kids who went to St John's Elementary School filtered into our midst for high school. But here a few 8th grade graduation classes from various years in the 1950's.

JUNE 1958

click to enlarge

photo courtesy : Gary Messinetti

Your looking at 1/2 of the future class of 1962. By now the classes had grown big enough that they had to photograph the boys and girls seperate. Anyone one out there have the better half? Those that stayed on would become the third high school class out of Floyd... There are several brothers in this group including John & Gary Messinetti who left and went on to Seton Hall. Roy and Ray Frey and the "Butch Brothers" that would be 6th grader Tony Abruntilla's big brother Ignacio and this 6th grader's brother Walter who both were nicknamed "Butch". In a few years (when they hit 16) the Butch Brothers and quite a few more would choose the job market over a high school diploma. Some like George Tydeman wouldn't get that choice, passing away as a sophomore. Sadly several others besides George are on the Kids Who Left Too Soon Page

JUNE 1959

Now here above and below we have a matched set. This would be the future High School Class of 1963, a year of many changes for sure.

photos: Mastics Shirley Moriches Library

Don't know who got cut off on the left front? Thought it might be Stan Pesklo but that looks like Stan to right of Bert Garcia. Down in front on the far right just to the left of Larry Collins is Eddie Ianetto. Eddie who left in 1962 for the Navy, was the drummer in the first band I was in in 1961 "The Islanders" with Floydites: Bill Clausing, Pete Morano and Adolph Almasy.

SUDDENLY IT'S 1960!

Actually that was the slogan for the 1957 Plymouths... but suddenly it was the end of a decade and I found myself surrounded with all these other kids. Some like Peter Santa (directly behind Mr. Thomas ) and Ricky Lust (second row between Vito Tullo & John Chiapone moved away). Some dropped out , some went to Catholic High Schools and some like Dennis Werler who is to the right of me, wound up as one of the Kids Who Left Too Soon. I did get to see a whole bunch of these guys last August at our 40th High School Reunion .......but geez where's all the girl pics??? This Floyd School is starting to look like Eton!

WELL HOW ABOUT THAT ....HERE's A START!

Cathy Demonaco, Alicia Patera, Wanda Bentley, Marie Boye

GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN JUNE 1960

WANTED The group photo of the VERY FIRST Graduation Class To Ever Stand On The Floyd Stage In A Cap & Gown. That would be Mrs. Fechtmann's Kindergarten class of 1952-53. Some of my classmates in that photo were Donald Martin, Christine Lindner, Peter Musemecci, Anthony Torre, Judy Mezzappelle and Jean Bourvic....my photo got left behind on an upper closet shelf when I left Mastic Beach in 1964.

HOLY COW ! HERE WE ARE MISS? JEANNE FECHTMANN'S KINDERGARTEN CLASS OF 1952-53 IT'S NOT THE GRAD PIC IN CAPS & GOWNS THAT I'M LOOKING FOR BUT IT IS US With a tip of the mortar board and a toss of the tassel to Donald Martin I got to see this one for the first time today Aug 16, 2007. I don't even recall when we took it or the shirt I'm wearing (I remember the suspenders though ). On The Floor : THIS FIRST GUY IS HAUNTING ME BECAUSE I KNOW HIS NAME BUT IT'S STUCK ? , ___?____, JEAN BOURVIC (who sang Fre're Jaque to the class after lunch EVERY DAY ) Jean's father Jean opened the popular teen hangout lunchonette in town called what else .....JEAN's Second Row : Peggy Landau, Bobby Frankson, Fern Cohen (thanks Anita) , Tommy Albertina._______. Billy?, Sandy Lichtenberger Third Row: Billy Foster, Judy Mezzapelle, (who sang Walkin' My Baby Back Home EVERY DAY and acted it out too! Her Dad Pete was one fine guitarist and my band the Islanders played our Very First Gig at her 13th Birthday Party) Sammy Giannino?, Mary Ann Lagumis, Vincent Lampazona, ___ ?___, Donald Hulse Last Row: Howie Bullock, Carol Calabria, Me , Possibly Christine Lindner? , Don Martin, Another Very Familiar Face, John Chesenik(sp?) Missing Kids That Were Also In This Class Are : Louis Mueller, Anthony Torre, Peter Musumeci, Lorraine Marshak. Mary McNulty

Continued