Four of the original students when the Tracy Seventh-day Adventist Christian School was opened in 1952 shared memories of school days during an anniversary reunion Oct. 27. Left to right: Joyce Aaby Skidmore of Green Acres, Wash., Dr. Bill Fisher of The Villages, Fla., Dr. Jim Fisher of Walla Walla, Wash., and Dr. Deo Fisher of Hermiston, Ore. Photo courtesy of George Miller.
The evening featured a dinner, video and slide shows of the past six decades and recollections of former students in five-year blocks of time.
Dr. George Miller, a retired Tracy dentist who has served as SDA school board chairman for 30 years, was master of ceremonies.
“It was quite an evening,” Miller reported later. “We had a good turnout, former students told of their experiences and we recalled what the school has meant for our students over the years.”
The school opened in the fall of 1952 with about 30 students in grades one through eight. A kindergarten class was added later.
The original school building at the corner of 21st Street and Court Drive contained two classrooms. A gymnasium was built in 1972 and a third classroom in 1992, Miller reported.
“We have emphasized the three R’s, with plenty of individual attention,” Miller said. “As a result, our students have done well in secondary school and college. Many hold advanced degrees.”
A number of the school graduates have gone on to SDA secondary academies in Lodi, Monterey Bay and Rio Linda, Sonoma County.
Current enrollment totals 33 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Patsy Iverson is the principal and first- to fourth-grade teacher; Andrew Jorgenson teaches grades five to eight; and Beatrice Ahn teaches kindergarten.
In addition to Miller, school board members are Dr. Becky Lanza, Kimberly Riddle, Leo Porras, Jessica Richmond, Lisa Sanchez and Iverson.
• Contact Sam Matthews at 830-4234 or shm@tracypress.com.
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