Flower Hill Students Tour
Heritage Museum
Flower Hill Primary School fourth graders came face-to-face with the history of the Huntington School District when they visited the School Heritage Museum at Huntington High School.
The visit included an informative history lesson presented by the museum's founding curator, Jack Abrams, a retired teacher and school principal who has been involved with the district for 55 years.
Following the formal presentation, students took a walking tour of the museum, viewing artifacts stretching across hundreds of years. According to local archives, the first day of public education in the town was February 11, 1657.
The youngsters were impressed with the museum's collection and enjoyed meeting with Mr. Abrams. "I liked the giant bell that was rung three times a day and could be heard all over town," one student said. "The first time it rang was when school started at 8:30 a.m. The second time was at noon. The third time was at 3 p.m. so that parents knew the children were coming home."
Another favorite among the students was the oversized photo of the whale that swam into Huntington Harbor in 1938. "That was cool," quipped one of the fourth graders. "All the schools in Huntington were closed and all the students were down by the harbor to see the whale," a classmate added.
"All in all, it was a day that was both fun and informative," teacher Jim Lauter said.
Mr. Abrams celebrated his 80th birthday on October 28 and his friends around the Huntington School District offered him congratulations and best wishes for many more happy and healthy years ahead.