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Lehigh’s newest school was its oldest

By Staff | Dec 2, 2009

Then and Now: Lehigh Elementary students parade across stage showing photos of Lehigh Elementary from the earliest beginnings in a couple of houses. The two children here show what the school looked like before demolition and at left, the newly built school today. Photo by MEL TOADVINE

Laverna Hamlyn, known to her friends as “Lee,” was one of the first teachers at Lehigh Elementary School and she was one of the special guests included last week for the dedication of the all-new Lehigh Elementary School off of E. Third Street.

“”I just can’t believe all the changes, the technology, and good things they doing here,” Hamlyn said. She taught at the old school for 29 years.

Dr. James Browder, county school superintendent, spotted Lee Hamlyn before the dedication ceremonies began and sat down with her to talk about the earlier days of the school.

“We really proud of our new school here in Lehigh,” Browder told her and she agreed.

Hamlyn, Browder and several others, including former teachers, school officials, construction people – they were all there, along with the Lehigh Acres Senior High School Lightning Band, some of whom attended the school years ago. LSHS is a feeder school of Lehigh Elementary.

At the Podium: Alex Dworzanski and Judy Fecka welcome guests to the Lehigh Elementary School’s dedication ceremonies last week.

Alex Dworzanski, the school’s assistant principal, was a student, a teacher and now is second in command to Principal Dwayne Courtney.

The ceremony, including a ribbon cutting, speeches from the principal, teachers and “skits’ by some of the students could be viewed on the school’s inner TV network, but there was no sound.

Unfortunately, school officials said maintenance began at Headquarters in downtown Fort Myers, and it affected the sound.

But Lehigh Elementary officials said they were burning DVDs to show every student that would include video and sound.

Dworzanski and Judy Fecka welcomed guests.They noted that Lehigh Elementary School was the first school in Lehigh, located on Coolidge in a couple of air-conditioned houses. The county erected the school on E. Third St., and there was no air conditioning until the community came up with contributions to install air conditioning.

Browder with former teacher: Dr. James Browder, superintendent of schools for Lee County, speaks with one of the older former teachers of Lehigh Elementary School, Laverna “Lee” Hamlyn prior to the dedication ceremony last week.

The school was torn down, leaving only a few small buildings as architects drew up plans for a completely new Lehigh Elementary that included the smaller buildings.

Browder noted that they had done an excellent job in incorporating the architecture of the new completely constructed school to the smaller buildings.

Charlotte Gamer Lippincott told the story of the school from its early beginnings, how it has started in two or three homes and as the community grew, the need for a larger school came, too.

Then came the day a few years ago that the school family moved to the old K-mart building on Homestead Rd. when the school was 95 percent demolished.

A celebration of the present was put on by Kindergarten students teacher Judy Fecka; first grade teacher Patty Smith; second grade teacher, Chris Anderson and Sam Palhovic; third grade teacher donna McFee; fourth grade teacher, Cathy Kruse; and fifth grade teacher, Jennifer Whalen.

Dr. Elinor Scricca, a member of the school board, who represents Lehigh, spoke to the audience and started off with “at last, thank God,” as she praised the school.

A special presentation was presented by pre-K students as they walked across the stage with large photos of the school from its earliest days to the present.

A ribbon cutting was held and Superintendent Browder cut the ribbons in small strips for the school and for many of the students as a keepsake.

Speaker after speaker spoke of the “family” at Lehigh Elementary.

Ruth Anglickis, a longtime advocate for better schools in Lehigh, spoke to the large group and said her children had gone to the school and it was always known as a family school with teachers, students and their parents, all working together.

“I can’t tell you how excited we are today,” said Anglickis as she took to the podium.

Ruth Anglickis told of the early days of Lehigh Elementary School and said her children had gone there and so had many other students who today have successful in their chosen careers. Anglickis has been an advocate for better schools in Lehigh.

“We’ve watched the population grow in Lehigh to today where we have five elementary schools in Lehigh.Judy Fecka reminded those in the audience of the school’s first principal, Elizabeth (Betty) Ratliff, who used a cow bell in front of the houses that served as schools.

Donna McFee thanked the business partners of the school, local firms that help financially to make sure teachers have paper and supplies. Some “partners” come to the school and read to the class, she said.

Teacher Cathy Kruse noted that the school had been an “A” designated school for the past two years and teacher Jennier Whalen noted the modern technology using as an example the “white board” today which replaced the black boards of years ago. The white boards are used to write on and are also linked to computers. Teachers can touch the screen and move things around, much like you see on some of the Cable channels where news anchors move things across a large screen.

Dr. Elinor Scricca, a member of the school board who represents Lehigh, spoke briefly.

“At Last, thank God,” she said as she spread out her arms to the crowd.

“Lehigh is a jewel and the people here deserve this new school.”

The new school opened on the same site that the former school had been demolished. Classes started in August and students moved from the building on Homestead Rd., that today is the Hipps Elementary School. Before Hipps, the old K-mart building, which had been modernized throughout, houses the first class of the East Lee County High School. It was a staging school, but officials say it will remain as the new Hipps Elementary School as its permanent home.