Park View School - Morton Grove, IL

It was raining when I got there!

This is what you see as you drive up

An impressive Mosiac was recently installed in the office

We held our school "assemblies" here

A new addition to the school!

The hallways

I remember these lockers! I had a hard time remembering the combination!

One of two computer labs at the school

Recent courtyard changes

This was my old "homeroom!" Mr. Adler was my homeroom teacher.

The "entrance" for Junior High students

The entranceway to the new "Warrior Dome" gym

The new "Warrior Dome"

The music classroom looks the same to me! Mrs. Clancy was our music teacher.

The old gym has added new gear

Another view of the new equipment

The old gym

The former "Home Economics" classroom has evolved

The new kitchen

I attended Park View School during 8th grade after my family moved from Chicago to Morton Grove in 1971. I graduated there in 1972.

It was a difficult time for me adjusting to the suburbs after living in Chicago all my life. Things were different and I had no friends other than my new neighbors. At Cleveland School, I was a popular kid. But at Park View, I was a nobody.

I recall going through school with only a handful of kids to call my friends. No doubt, there were "cliques" at the school and I wasn't in any of them! In fact, I was one of the only Asian kids in the school. Today, Park View has about 25 percent Asians attending according to the Assistant Principal. I recall there being more of a Jewish population when I attended.

But by the end of the school year, I had made several good friends and then it was over! I was headed for high school. Surprisingly, I found that I did not keep in contact with ANY of the friends I made at Park View while I was in high school! I had to start all over again making friends.

But now, thirty six years later, I find I am in contact with many of my former classmates from both Park View and Niles West (my high school.) With the help of websites like Classmates.com and school records, I attended my 30th year high school reunion back in 2006 and I've kept in contact with some of my former classmates.

Recently, our classmates sent out an email message announcing a get together at a local restaurant in Wheeling, IL in July and then also a big 50th birthday bash in Las Vegas for those who can make it. Well, I was always one year younger than my classmates because I had skipped third grade while attending Cleveland School.

While I cannot attend the Las Vegas event, I do plan to go to the July gathering and will of course take my camera with me.

I am surprised at how many of my former classmates still remember me. Like I said, I was the "new kid" at the school in 8th grade, so I fully expected nobody to really remember me. But I was wrong. Several people do remember me!

Park View has changed over the years, but many things also remain the same. Most noted is the addition of a new gymnasium known as the "Warrior Dome." Also the old gym has added a lot of equipment overhead! And what was once our cafeteria, has now become the main office! The cafeteria has gotten smaller because of it.

Technology has of course been added to the school with many computers in two rooms for both Kindergarten-6th grade and for the Junior High.

Many thanks to Assistant Principal Andy Petroline for taking me on a guided tour. It was good to see the school again!