The History of Dommerich Elementary School
as told by Former Teachers
Mrs. Carolyn Voke and Mrs. Romona Pietcewicz Parental pressure was the catalyst for Dommerich Elementary. Originally there was one elementary school in Maitland, Hill School on the west side of 17/92. Dommerich Estates was booming in 1958-59. A foot brigade visited every home to obtain accurate records of pre-school and elementary age students. This record was taken to the school board who eventually realized we "meant business" and would not rest until we had a new school.
Overcrowded situations finally forced the Orange County School Board to add 6 elementary classrooms to the existing Jr. High School in the fall of 1981. It had been a long hard fight, but the neighborhood had won. Steve Voss was the principal and the original teachers were Anne Perry, Mary Ann Bramsford, Francis Coldwell, Romana Pietciwicz, Jean Kaufman and Marge Muller.
Growth continued in Dommerich Estates and Maitland Shores to such a degree that in the next fall, 1962, more drastic measures were necessary. Two Maitland churches came to the rescue, First Presbyterian on 17/92 and Church of the Good Shepard. Mrs Pietciwicz was principal. Students met at the Jr. High school and were bussed to the various churches. Teachers took turns riding the bus daily. The facilities were crowded, heat was provided by a gas stove. Not only were Sunday School rooms used, but the Sanctuary as well. But, the faculty was a strong dedicated group of return teachers who provided excellent opportunities for children to learn.
Many unusual things happened that year. First was the terrific storm causing a large oak tree to fall, just missing the classrooms. The second big event was the missile threat from Cuba. President Kennedy had ordered troops and equipment be sent to South Florida to protect our shores and all of America. 24 hours a day the tanks, trucks and equipment traveled south on 17/92. It was a frightening experience for both students and teachers. At the time, teachers were asked to "be prepared" to spend the night at school to protect the students. Each student was to bring a sweater and a gallon of water. It was a real threat. Bomb shelters were built by some families in Dommerich. Sweaters and water would not be much protection.
Another difficult time was the playground experience. The area provided was adjacent to 17/02. Balls were forever being bounced into traffic. It seemed as if we were stopping cars often to retrieve balls.
The next fall, 1963, an additional classroom wing was added on to the Jr. High School and we returned to the school campus. We had no air conditioning and gnats were in the children's eyes. Attention was quite distracted. Oh, how lucky we are today. Dommerich Elementary School was being constructed through the entire year. We moved into the new school building before Mother's Day 1965. What a memorable day.
It had taken 7 years from our house to house survey to finally see our own Dommerich Elementary School right in front of our eyes. Preparations to move were not elaborate, actually it was quite simple. Everyone carried their own stuff! Each child brought a brown paper sack and filled it with his/her belongings. Each child (except 1st grade) carried their own desk down the driveway and across the street into their new classroom. The 6th grade students helped the younger children. What a day! The county moved the teachers desks and their chairs. That was all the furniture we had, but it was "great". What a history we had made for ourselves.
One thing I should mention were our trees. The PTA planted and dedicated a tree for each teacher. Those trees were very meaningful to both the students and the teachers. (Those valuable trees have recently been cut down and removed so that the NEW Dommerich can be built) The parents were also extremely helpful in obtaining playground equipment, teachers lounge furniture, classroom supplies and office equipment.
Another major event in the life of Dommerich was the "walkout". It became evident to many of the teachers in Florida that the state and counties were not providing the necessary equipment to provide adequate education for the students. A walkout was instituted by many teachers within the state to force both state and local school administrators and school boards to address the situation. Four of Dommerich teachers put their professional status on the line. Most of the remaining teachers at Dommerich supported the cause. The movement was so spectacular that help was forthcoming and supplies were greatly increased. That was a traumatic experience for many of us.
Another event which greatly effected Dommerich was the "name in the bowl" draw. Florida schools were to be integrated. Not only were students involved, but teachers as well. Each teachers' name in Orange County Schools were put in a fish bowl. A drawing was held at night and broadcast on the local TV. Every classroom teacher, special education teacher, music, art, guidance, etc., was to be included. If your name was drawn, you were to be assigned to a different school. Black teachers were sent to white schools and vice versa. Many lives were changed that night.
In 1976, Dommerich joined the nation in celebrating our Bicentennial. An all day Pioneer Days gave students and teachers an opportunity to discover how our forefathers and foremothers lived in 1776. Local specialists were stationed to demonstrate how candles were made, sheep's wool was made into yard via a spinning wheel, dyes and soap were made and various other long lost skills were there for the children and teachers to try for themselves. It was a fun day.
There were several trips for the 5th and 6th grade students over spring break. There were trips to Williamsburg, VA and Washington D.C.. Fun was had by all. The trips to the symphony were yearly events as well as other great local establishments.
Dommerich was a fantastic school. It was truly due to interested and educated parents who wanted the BEST education for their children. Often, it was stated that Dommerich was like a private school. The teaching staff were far above the average. A sense of perfection seemed to permeate the building. Our principals, Steve Voss, Bud Paine, Byron Baird, Dorothea Willis, Roz Eldridge, Robert Holbert, Dick Wiedley and Bobby Barnby each contributed greatly to it's success, but most of all it was the students.
THEY WANTED TO LEARN - and they did!
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The History of the Dommerich Area |
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In the early 1960's the Space Race against the Soviet Union and Florida's tropical climate began to attract large numbers of families to Central Florida. Martin-Marietta, located out in the wilderness near Sand Lake Road, and McDonald Douglass in Titusville, provided many well-paying engineering jobs, while McCoy Air Force Base added many military personnel to the mix. Sixty miles away, at Cape Canaveral, thousands more worked at reaching the moon. Many of these families found homes in the Dommerich Hills Dommerich Estates sub-divisions, where an attractive 5-bedroom home could be purchased for about $30,000.
The combined Maitland Elementary and Maitland Junior High served the neighborhood from a single campus, where Maitland Middle School sits today. As the population of the area grew, so did class sizes. The first of the “portable classrooms” was placed on school grounds as a temporary solution to the problem. Then, midway through the 1965-1966 school year, Dommerich Elementary School opened, serving grades one through six. The new building was fully air-conditioned, unlike Maitland Junior High, and embodied the latest concepts in school design. The students eagerly settled in, and the school came to life. The lunar missions were still going on when Walt Disney World opened in October 1971. This set the stage for the next wave of growth in Central Florida, and which continues to this day. Orange groves, farmland and vacant lots disappeared as homes and highways were built to serve the needs of the rapidly increasing population. Through it all, Dommerich Hills and Dommerich Estates remained an oasis amid the growth, and Dommerich Elementary was common ground for all. Sibling followed sibling to Dommerich, and later returned in their adult years to live in the same area as their parents. The attraction of a peaceful neighborhood and an outstanding school was too good for them to pass up, and their children helped continue the Dommerich tradition into the 21st century. As both Dommerich Elementary and Maitland Middle School grew older, the need to replace them became evident. At over four decades, they have aged well, but lack some of the technology available to today’s students, and the size to meet future growth. Both will be demolished by 2009 and modern new schools will arise from the rubble, ready to serve new students for a long time to come. Rather than let the schools disappear without notice, several alumni banded together for the purpose of creating a Dommerich Elementary Alumni Reunion. Scheduled for the spring of 2009, we seek to bring together all the graduating classes of Dommerich, and their teachers, to celebrate Dommerich’s past, and the great future ahead of it. In cooperation with the PTA, we hope to create an event worthy of the traditions of the school, and one that we’ll remember for the rest of our lives. We encourage you visit this web site often, and please tell your classmates about it. We need everyone’s help to make the reunion a success. |
