Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society

Mr. Don Ostrander

GWBHS — Sun, 15 Aug 2004 05:00:00 +0000

Children were bussed from around Pontiac during this time. I’m sorry to say that from 1985 – 91 there was little connection between the school and the Sylvan community. As for the “Mary and Her Lamb” mural, “never give up”.

Mr. Jack Colbert

GWBHS — Sat, 14 Aug 2004 05:00:00 +0000

1980 – 1985 Whitfield School Principal Mr. Colbert taught 6th grade at Whitfield in the 1960’s. You had to practically fight to get to teach at Whitfield. It was a wonderful place to work. As Principal, Mr. Colbert remembers the weekly assemblies with students and the dedicated staff. He had a great office staff: Marie Ciavarella, June Leonard, and Joanne Hubbard. Whitfield had the best student body in Pontiac. The parents were very involved in the school.

Mr. Howard Caldwell

GWBHS — Fri, 13 Aug 2004 05:00:00 +0000

Principal. Unfortunately, Mr. Caldwell passed away several years ago and his family has moved from the area.

Mr. William E. Neff

GWBHS — Thu, 12 Aug 2004 05:00:00 +0000

Principal. I began the 1963-64 school year as principal of Hawthorne Elementary School and informed by Supt. Dana Whitmer in mid-November that I would be transferred to Whitfield at the conclusion of the Thanksgiving break due to the illness of Principal Vida Walker. The coming years saw the staff change through the retirement of many veteran teachers. Programs originated by Principal Walker and staff remained in place with new programs and procedures gradually implemented. I became aware of the need for major renovation in the main/oldest building and after a prolonged attempt to convince the school district invited the Pontiac Press in to view the problems. A lengthy news article and photos brought solution to the problems. A new roof, new flooring to 7 classrooms, office and teacher lounge, new tile and paint was completed over Christmas break. Major changes occurred as a result of court ordered integration of schools to reflect Pontiac’s racial makeup. Whitfield was paired with Franklin Elementary and changed from a K-6 “Neighborhood School” to a K-4-5-6 configuration. Franklin changed to a K-1-2-3 format and students in both schools exchanged students for a three-year period. A second change involved the transfer of teaching staff from both Whitfield and Franklin to accommodate the change in grade configuration. A third change was the consolidation of Whitfield/Irving principalships. I now served as principal for two schools for a two-year period. The school district created a “Head Teacher” position in each school to assist with administration/problems. Mr. Donald MacQuarrie and Mr. John Colbert served in that role. In my thirteen years at Whitfield the students, staff and parents provided me with an excellent work relationship and from those groups came many life long friendships. I left Whitfield for Clarkston Schools for an Assistant Superintendents position, a larger salary, and the opportunity to work where our children attended school. William E. Neff

Whitfield Cornerstone laid newspaper article

GWBHS — Fri, 06 Aug 2004 05:00:00 +0000

Notice to taxable inhabitant December 1, 1851 Sir you are herby notified that the school inspectors of the townships of Waterford, West Bloomfield, Bloomfield and Pontiac have formed a fractional school district in said townships, numbered and bounded as follows: Numbered “Six”, Bounded as follows, containing the following described lands, “to wit,” The whole of section 31 of Pontiac. The whole of section 6. Ah1/4, and W ½, of LW1/6, of section 5, of the town of Bloomfield. The whole section one, and the E ½ of 4E 1/6, of section 2. Of West Bloomfield and the LE1/6 of section 36 of Waterford. The first meeting of said district will be held at the house of Henry Windiate in said district on Monday the 15th day of December A. D. 1851, at 6 o’clock P.M. and you are herby instructed, in pursuance of the law relating to primary schools, to notify every qualified voter of said district, either personally or by leaving a written notice at his place of residence, of the time and place of said meeting for the election of officers and the transaction of such other business as may be necessary. Dated at Pontiac this 1st. day of December 1851. E. H. Whitney Clerk of the boards of school inspectors I do hereby certify that I notified all the qualified voters of the within named district on or before the 8th day of December 1851. Hiram H. Hunter Filed & Recorded December 18th A. D. 1851 A. G. Smith Director

Whitfield Cornerstone laid

GWBHS — Thu, 05 Aug 2004 05:00:00 +0000

Search for Whitfield School grads who served in World War II

GWBHS — Fri, 23 Jul 2004 05:00:00 +0000

On November 6, 1943, Glenn Husted, superintendent of Daniel Whitfield Elementary School in Sylvan Lake, wrote his first “Dear Joe Whitfield” letter to a graduate of the school serving in the U.S. armed services during World War II. He eventually corresponded with about 45 young servicemen. Recently Mr. Husted’s daughter, Mrs. Sharie Husted VanGilder, found some 70 letters to and from her father. As a girl, Mrs. VanGilder remembers going to Whitfield School on Sunday afternoons as her father wrote the letters on the school typewriter while she helped with mimeographing. Since the end of June, Mrs. VanGilder, along with GWBHS Board member Helen Jane Peters and Randy Rogers, a former Whitfield student now living in Seoul, Korea, have located 16 men or their families and returned the original letters to them. According to Mrs. Peters, “It is very heartwarming when a son or daughter says This is the only correspondence we have from my father during World War II.” For information on the search see the Facebook Daniel Whitfield Elementary School alumni page or call Mrs. Peters, 248-681-9568.