Crossroads Memorabilia

Kimberly Garrett Reynolds was like many Crossroads pioneers, a resident of LaClede Town. Above is an April, 1976 article that Kim, as a Crossroads 8th grader, wrote for the neighborhood newspaper about the mural that Crossroads students had painted in the community center.

In the early days of the school, we asked applicants to write essays about something that was important to them. Here is part of Kim Reynolds’ narrative on who the United States needed to improve relations with Cuba.

Above is the front cover of the program for Crossroads’ 1982 production of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap. It was directed by drama teacher Anita Grunmann and presented at New City School. We believe that the illustration was by Jim Abbott.

Courtesy of Crossroads pioneer Kevin Villars, above is an illustration for the program for The Wizard of Oz. It was directed by drama teacher Kem Sawyer and presented in the main auditorium of the Peacock Alley Community Center in LaClede Town.

There aren’t many who would share a report card from their 8th grade year, but pioneer Kevin Villars has. Kevin parlayed his middle school learning into earning a PhD in education and being principal of a K-12 school in Washington State for students in the Lummi Indian Reservation.

Letter to parents and students from Arthur & Carol Lieber in June, 1978 being late in sending out year-end report cards, and a report on the school’s search for a new building for the upcoming fall.

Courtesy of Crossroads pioneer Megan Ferry, above is an undated photo of (left to right) alums Megan Ferry (’85), and Taunya Hilfrink (84), Taunya’s mother and science teacher Marian Hilfrink and Spanish teacher Patty Costello.

In an undated photo, Crossroads student Megan Ferry plays the piano while her father, Dick Ferry, plays the trumpet. (Photo courtesy of Megan Ferry).

Series of photos from production of The Mousetrap.

Courtesy of Crossroads teacher Kem Sawyer, a 1982 letter from former Missouri Senator Tom Eagleton thanking us for giving him the Phil Esterhaus Award for Polysyllabic Verbosities. Crossroads appreciated the vocabulary that Eagleton used, that matched that of Sgt. Phil Esterhaus in Hill Street Blues.

Courtesy of Crossroads’ first drama teacher, Kem Sawyer, we have a few photos from the student production of Madwoman of Chaillot. It was a daring challenge for all, but among the first of a long line of successful productions.

In December of 1976, in the third year of Crossroads, director Kem Sawyer gave confidence to a group of thespian novices that they had the skills to perform Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. There were considerable modern twists. Click above to see more.

Courtesy of Crossroads teacher Deb Bailey, a 1982 Crossroads Connection article linking Enright Ave. near Crossroads with former Missouri Senator Tom Eagleton,  all through the magic of the TV show Hill Street Blues. The cop drama, set in a hypothetical Midwest city, showed that you could combine urban grit with urbane vocabulary enhancement.

Courtesy of Crossroads’ first drama teacher, Kem Sawyer, we have a few photos from the student production of Pygmalion.

It was February and March of 1976, in but the second year of Crossroads. Drama teacher and director Kem Sawyer not only directed students in The Wizard of Oz, but she took the show on the road. As you can see in the image above, the ensemble performed Wizard for children throughout the metropolitan area including the Annie Malone Children’s Home, the Neighborhood School and Wyman School.

Wimp-on-a-Wall

Poor Vice-President George H.W. Bush had to fight the double indignity of first being chronicled by Newsweek Magazine as having to “Fight the ‘Wimp Factor'” in his 1988 race to succeed Ronald Reagan as president, but then having that cover of the magazine on the wall of Arthur’s Room 7 classroom for years. Through the magic of PhotoShop, it is now on the same wall of the what is now called Room 9, or more personally, Karsen’s room. Our apologies to the forty-third president of the United States and his many admirers.

Most likely Year #3 of Crossroads; first year at 4532 Lindell Blvd. in the Central West End. Photo courtesy of Fawn Potash.

Andy & Candi. Once again, most likely Year #3 of Crossroads; first year at 4532 Lindell Blvd. in the Central West End, and teachers Andy Rothschild and Candi Knight. Photo courtesy of Fawn Potash.

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