RADNOR MIDDLE SCHOOL

April 23, 2001

TO: Radnor School Board Members:

Art Lewis, Dorothy Orlichowski, Mike Glynn, Chase Gibson, Chuck Madden, Ann

Albright, Ellen Aman, Alan Brink, Paul Yakulis

RE: Radnor Middle School

I am a graduate of Radnor High School, Class of 1967, and attended Radnor

Junior High School, now Radnor Middle School, for grades 7, 8, & 9. At that

time, I was also well aware that the building had formerly been the site of

the combined Junior & Senior High Schools. Both my father, Phil

D'Amicantonio, Class of 1941 and my uncle, Louis J.D'amicantonio, Class of

1945, attended Junior & Senior School there. [In addition, like other World

War II vets from Radnor, the school was their departure site when they left

to enter the military]. Like myself, my brothers Louis A. D'Amicantonio,

Class of 1970 and Robert D'Amicantonio, Class of 1974 spent their Junior

High years in this building also.

I have wonderful memories of my years there. At the time, students

attending Wayne Elementary (which I attended), Rowland Elementary, &

Rosemont Elementary all came together in 7th grade. All of these elementary

schools have now been destroyed by prior school board administrations who

were short sighted in thinking these schools were no longer needed. But the

school population started to increase again in the 80's, and new elementary

schools were required. I'm sure the record will show that it cost

exponentially more dollars to build new schools that were needed to replace

these now defunct ones. And the prime real estate on which Rowland &

Rosemont Schools were located had been sold. I remember how disappointed and

upset my father was when Wayne Elementary was being torn down so that there

could be more playing fields. Why not move the playing fields out of

downtown and keep the schools there? And, as you may recall, Wayne

Elementary did not come down without a fight. Did any of you feel this way

when these 3 elementary schools were razed? Did any of you attend these

schools or attend the Radnor Junior High/Middle School?

With the coming together of 3 elementary schools, it was a time of making

many new friends. And, I am still friends with kids I went to Kindergarten

with at Wayne Elementary, not to mention Junior & Senior High School. In

this regard. I have been very active in planning all of my class reunions.

One of the best things about Junior High was the freedom to "go up Wayne"

after school with our friends. Our favorite places to go included Leinharts

Bakery for cinnamon buns and donuts, and Woolworth's soda fountain for

French Fries, Cokes, ice cream sundaes and banana splits. And when the

farmer's market was still on Lancaster Pike, we would run in there during

half time of football games for freshly-made potato chips. There was

Harrison's for school clothes, the M.R. Shop for records and Brooks

Stationary for school supplies. While these places were not glitzy, they

enabled us the freedom to socialize after school with our friends, and

generally enable us to feel like we were growing up. I'm sure today's

middle school kids feel the same way about going to The Gap, New Wayne

Pizza, Dairy Queen, Wayne Sporting Goods, etc.

Everything was bigger at Radnor Junior High than it had been in elementary

school. There was the girls' gym and the boys' gym, lockers, science labs,

wood shops, home economic rooms, and a most impressive auditorium. I don't

think I've ever seen a school auditorium as nice as that one. The stage

seemed immense and the balcony was a treat. We had frequent assemblies

there, including ones commemorating Armistice Day and Memorial Day. These

assemblies were orchestrated by our history teacher, Miss Tongue. In

addition to her intent to instill patriotism is all of us, she was also an

avid historian of Radnor Township. She was the one who devoted much time in

teaching Radnor students all about the establishment of Radnor Township and

its importance in colonial times, as well as its prominence during the

industrialization of the Main Line.

In addition, the Radnor Junior High/Middle School building, as well as the

school administration school (where I attended kindergarten and second

grade), serve as a focal point for the town of Wayne. After all, the school

administration moved the "new " Wayne Elementary out of the downtown area.

The police building and township municipal building are also not in the

center of town. Wayne has always been the hub of Radnor Township, but

moving an integral part of the community like the Radnor Middle School away

from the center of town is further dispersing activity and diminishing the

focal point of the township. That school has a long and significant

history, and it would be a big mistake for the Board to tear it down and

locate the Middle School elsewhere. Nowhere but in the U.S. are people so

readily willing to destroy their past. Having studied in Europe, I can tell

you that one of the biggest attractions which draw Americans to visit there,

are the old churches, museums, and public buildings like schools and

universities. Why then are we so eager to be part of a disposable society?

I think the answer is that it is the easy way out. The Radnor School Board

needs to consider the input of the many concerned alumni of Radnor and

develop a means to keep the current Radnor Middle School in place. It is a

piece of our history which we must preserve.

I urge The Board to leave the Radnor Middle School intact on South Wayne Ave

in Wayne.

Sincerely,

Marie D'Amicantonio Stemple, '67

39 Longwood Drive

Wayne, PA 19087