History

The class of 1934 poses at the end of the school year in front of the old Woodmere building. Front row adults from left to right are Mrs. M. Hogue, Miss Georgia Ewing, and Mrs. Alevia Alexander (Principal); third row 5th from left, Janet Wagstaff; back row 4th from left, Clayton Munzer.

by C.R. Norman, Woodmere Principal, 1962-68

The original Woodmere building was located just south of where the current building is now (7900 S.E. Duke St.). Woodmere was an eight-room structure with four rooms up and four rooms down. After the main building was completed in 1913, various additions were constructed so that in 1918 the school was complete with twelve classrooms, an office, and a gym.

This original construction included beveled plate glass windows. Mrs. Queenie Swanson, a veteran of 44 years teaching at Woodmere, recalls that the stairs were made of solid oak treads and were turned over when they became grooved by the wear of thousands of footsteps. She also stated that the east wind in the winter kept the building very cold and that the custodians often stayed overnight to keep the coal furnace going.

The present building was constructed in portions as was the original. In 1954 the new primary building was opened for grades 1-4. In 1958 the old building was torn down and the new primary building was expanded to provide for grades 1-8. The area that was served by the Woodmere building today includes the Kelly, Clark, and Whitman attendance areas.

In 1963 Woodmere had 18 classrooms, a gym, a cafeteria, a home economics room, and an industrial arts room. The latter two rooms were remodeled in 1987 to enlarge the library.

Woodmere is presently a K-5 school.

Past Principals of Woodmere

W.A. Petty	1910-1913
W.A. Dickson	1913-1918
Alevia Alexander	1918-1939 Mrs. Alevia Alexander on 8th Grade Graduation Day in 1932.(Photo courtesy of Nuvere Sterner, 8th Grade class of 1932.)
Carl Zook	1939-1944
F.V. Magaurn	1944-1955 Mr. Magaurn and Mrs. Alevia Alexander (standing behind boy) in 1955.
C.E.	Hulse1955-1956
Robert McCann	1956-1958
Clinton Thomas	1958-1962
C.R. Norman	1962-1968
Joseph Cherry	1968-1971
R. Gordon Neideigh	1971-1980
Donna Manning	1980-1986
Diana Leitner	1986-1993
Vonnie Haley-Condon	1993-2003
Heather Hull	2003-
Rene Canler	2013-2016
Katherine Polizos	2016-present