SIKESTON - Lee Hunter Elementary School is planning a golden anniversary celebration.
During the next several weeks, organizers will work to prepare a special celebration to commemorate 50th anniversary of the school, located at 315 Baker Lane. As closely as possible, they hope to replicate the actual program that took place on Sept. 1, 1954.
To help his students visualize how the school has evolved during the last 50 years, Principal Chuck Mayes plans to have pictures and memorabilia displayed throughout the school during the remainder of the 2004 school year. Mayes has served as the school's principal since 1999.
Anyone who attended or worked at the school is invited to take part in this event.
According to organizers this celebration is important to the community because the school has provided education to area students for 50 years. Teachers, students and their parents will have an opportunity to gain knowledge from the past and former educators, students or community leaders have stories to tell from the last 50 years that can provide insight for the future.
Organizers are looking for items like photographs of the land before the building was begun; architect's drawings or floor plans; photographs of the building while it was under construction; staff or class pictures from 1954-89 (candid or professional); and report cards, "S" awards or other memorabilia saved by students or their parents from 1954-1989.
Any borrowed material will be cataloged and returned to the owner in January.
The major celebration is planned for the first week in September. In order to catalog, compile and construct the displays, photographs and memorabilia are needed as soon as possible.
For more information, call the school office at 472-2200 from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday during the summer months. Office staff are available from 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Monday through Friday during the school year.