Teachers: 1955 to 1957 Helen Cranney - primary grades Rodney Fischer - principal
1957 to 1958 Jennie Long - first, second and third grades Rodney Fischer - fourth, fifth and sixth grades
1958 to 1959 Jennie Long - first, second and third grades Don E. Howard - fourth, fifth and sixth grades
1959 to 1960 Helen Cranney - first, second and third grades Don E. Howard - fourth, fifth and sixth grades
1960 to 1961 Helen Cranney - first, second and third grades Norman Watson - fourth, fifth and sixth grades
1961 to 1963 Margaret Dickey - first and second grades Eunice Meppen - third and fourth grades
In 1956 the seventh and eighth grade students were sent to town to Junior High School. The teachers felt opportunities were much better for them in the larger school. Also, the Dewey and Washington schools were closed about 1957, and many children came to York.
Mr. Fischer was the last teacher use to the Teacherage. He recalls that in addition to teaching, he was the coach, custodian, maintenance man and groundskeeper. His basketball team was very good, often beating teams from the Junior High. He also remembers a special event for the upper grades -- a DC3 plane was hired for the cost of the fuel, and the students were given about a 30 minute ride over Bonneville County.
In 1959 the hot lunch program began. The mothers volunteered to pick up the insulated containers from the high school or Glair E. Gale Junior High and serve it at noon. When a mother served, her children and their friends had to help serve, also. The children loved helping, and there was seldom any lack of assistance. The PTO was paid 7$ per mile to pick up and serve the lunches.
The PTO became very active during this time. Monthly meetings were held with a speaker or activity each time. They had a project each year to buy equipment for the school; in 1962 they bought a phonograph with amplifier, and in 1963 they bought library books. There were programs on beer drinking, truancy and shoplifting, speech problems, Harbor House, and dental hygiene. One program was a spelling match between the parents and children with John Orr. Supt. of Schools, as moderator. A Science Fair was held -- the winning display in the lover room was "How Seeds Grow"; the winning display in the upper room was "The Electric Stove".
Civil Defense was stressed by the community, and York School was designated as a Fallout-Shelter". Parents provided a blanket for each child, and food, water and first aid supplies were stored in the basement in case of a nuclear disaster. Thank God there was never an occasion to use it.
In November, 961, students and parents were saddened by the death of Harry Meppen, husband of their teacher, Eunice Meppen, and a former student of York School.
In January, 1963, parents and children took part in a polio clinic at Longfellow School. The school picnic that year was a box lunch for each family rather than sharing the food as there was fear of spreading hepatitis. The school well was tested and found clean.
One student remembers the great Christmas plays, the picnics, playing baseball and basketball and the snowball fights. They used the old outhouse roof as a fort. "No man's land" was between second base and the far fence.