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Their T-shirts tell the story: "Alexandra public school 1908-1983. The Greatest." At the centre of the logo is a broken heart. Melodee Martinuk Chronicle Staff Tuesday morning Alexandra's students and staff, many wear- ing the special shirt. gathered in their schoolyard. joined hands and completely encircled the school which that afternoon closed its doors for the final time as an ele- mentary facility in War terloo. It seemed a fitting way for them to say goodbye to Alexandra. which was the second public school to open in Waterloo. “It's been a good school _.. lie enjoyed every bit of the lime I've been here." said Jim Ribey, Alexandra principal for the past to years. “It's a very close school. Because it has been under study all that time the teach- ers and students here have developed a dir lerent morale, it's much stronger than usual. And it has been close to the community as well. There's quite a Alexandra closing touches many hearts Believe it or not this mod to be Aloxandu's “bun. Over the past tow days schooi out! and helpers have been busy packing Alexandra's book couoctlon which will be an! to Hula”! " V q; gscREA‘e/ school in Cambridge. tradition of parent in- volvement in the school which makes for a very close-knit eommuni- iv." The year was 1908 when, faced with a rap- idly increasing number of elementary school- aged children, the school board decided to build a new. two-storey facility on Alexandra Avenue, at the site of the former Waterloo F airground, The school was small, with only four rooms, cost some $15,000 and when it opened its doors in 1909, its first principal was Elizabeth Ziegler who taught in Waterloo schools for more than " years and was the first woman principal in the county. Ever-increasing enrolment meant a fur ther expansion and in 1923 two new wings. each with four class- rooms, were added to the original building. Cost of the addition, which included the first home economics and manual training rooms, was $102,700. Alexandra has a ca- pacity for 250 students, but said Ribey, since his arrival at the school enrolment has dropped from 150 to less than 100 this past year. As well Alexandra had some Mt special educa- tion students and 22 Westvale pupils who were bused to the school daily for classes, in its final year. But Neil MacFa- chem. principal of Alexandra from 1925- 1952, remembers a time when more than 500 students crowded the school's halls and classrooms. “I remember years when Alexandra had over 500 students, when classes ran with 45 peo- ple to a class because there was no other place to put them," he recalled. “Alexandra was a big school at the time. There were only two schools and they were both very well used." Especially memora- ble for MacEachern during his quarter cen- tury at Alexandra were the annual field days in Waterloo Park when students from the city's four schools (St. Louis, Alexandra. Eli- zabeth Ziegler and Central) competed for possession of the covet- ed Shield Award. "We WW” used to be proud that Alexandra was the best school in K-W and that particularly became obvious with the old field days -.. for 24-25 years Alexandra won that shield." Current Keatsway public school principal Mary Johnston attend- ed grades two through eight at Alexandra dur- ing the late 1930s and early Mos and she re- members her years at the school with fond- ness and more than a little pride. "Alexandra was the best," she said. "Blue and yellow (the school's colors) - we wore our ribbons very proudly. Even today. people are proud of having gone to that school." Then. she said, stu- dents wrote with quills, grass surrounded the school building instead of the asphalt of today and boys and girls en- tered the school through separate doors and played in separate playgrounds, a prac- tice which was contin- ued until 1972. For Alie Reitkerk. a special education teacher at Alexandra, Tuesday's school clos- ing was a doubly sad occasion. Alexandra was not just the school where she had taught tor the past eight years, but it was also where each of her six children had gone to school. "This school has alwaysrbeen special for my family. For the past 22 years a Ron kerk has always been here. Now, I'm the last one, "I really hate to leave it, it's been a great school. It's Just been a privilege to teach here," the con- cluded. plaining After all, it wasn't that long ago that we suffered through a brw tally cold and wet spring. so the recent heat wave we have been exposed to is cer- tainly a welcome alter- native. While we do curse as we watch our grass turn to straw, and can't wait each day to stash the shirt and tie in favor of shorts and sneakers, hot, hazy. h u m i d s u m m e r weather can be enjoy- able and here are some tips to keeping cool. Dress to Stay Fresh: What you wear can make the difference between comfort and cooking. Skirts and blouses made of cotton or linen are best. These natural fibers breathe by themselves and keep you cool. Light colours help, too. They attract less heat. Make sure your summer wardrobe is loose. That way the warm air can easily circulate. The Juices Have It: Summer just isn't sum- mer without a tall cool gin. But watch it. Al- cohol is a natural dehy- drater. You will need to keep your body fluids up - especially during those unexpected heat waves. Water and fruit juices are perfect. They can keep you re- freshed whether you are running or relax- ing. So. drink up. W a t e r W o r k s Wonders: A dip in the pool can really do the trick. A bath or shower at the end of the day can mean a good night's rest. But keep the water tepid. Hot or cold extremes won't help. And give yourself a minute afterwards to dry off naturally. The evaporation adds to the cooling comfort. Eat Light: Plan your summer meals around light dishes that are easy to prepare. Heavy foods are hard to digest in high temperatures and can tire you out. Be sure to serve salads and shimmering moulds with barbeque basics. They will help you stay lively and summer trim. Keep Cool Inslde: Good insulation in the basement, attic, and walls can turn your home into a quiet re- treat from the summer heat. It can save you money, too, by cutting dmm on air condition- ing costs. Keep dra- peries drawn during the hottest daylight hours. No one is really com- Hot enough, but learn how to keep cool Plant and Prom: Help your inside in sulation do its best by providing shade trees on the east, south and west sides of your house. Trees are natu- ral " conditioners and reduce solar heat gain through windows, walls, and roofs. They can add real value to your property as_weil. HJW'Eb‘t'is it? WAYERLOO CW. WEDNESDAY. JUNE 29.1983 iAOE 3 line: r-The cost Here's a sweet trick to cool down. Keep a bot- tle of your favorite perfume or cologne in the refrigerator. A quick splash on the wrist will provide some In an effort to help finance this fall's fey tival, K-W Oktoberfest Inc. last week an- nounced a new money- making project, the Oktoberfest Olympic Lottery. "iijiiaiii'"i"'i""'i"""s' at LA. Chronicle Staff The $2 ticket offers an opportunity to win a trip for two to the 1984 Olympic games in Los Angeles, California in- cluding tickets to the opening ceremonies and four events. as well as hotel accommoda- tion and spending money. Second prize is a weekend trip for two to Montreal plus tickets to a Canadiens hockey game and third prize ls a trip to a Buffalo Sabres game. The prizes, donated by George Mon Travel, Kitchener, are valued at $5,000. Waterloo swimmer Mike West buys the first ticket in Oktoberfest's new Olympic lottery from Miss Kitchener-Waterloo, Nitsa Arvanitis. -- - _ _ "it's an entirely new concept ... a fourth dimension for Oktober- fest," said Oktoberfest president Bill Hender son l/tTye/ts last week which saw War terloo Olympic hopeful Mike West of the Re- gion of Waterloo Swim Club purchase the first at 50.000 tickets offered on the Nov. " draw. (Continued from page I) "I don't think we're putting any hardship on Mr. Dresler." added Ald. Robert Henry. “In the long run he'll have a better investment if he puts the house on the property prorrr/r". A. --. . .. " Aids. Jim Erb and Glen Wright opposed the decision arguing that many core area homes do not meet current zoning restric- tions because they were built before the regulations were adopted. surprisingly refreshing results. So don't lose your cool this summer. Fol- low these tips and beat the heat. Now, which way to the beach? The purpose of the lottery, Henderson ex- plained. "is to help finance the festival ... help support many extra Oktoberfest events, especially the operetta. We're hoping for the support of the entire community to make Oktoberfest once again viable." Despite the fact that attendance rose sharp- ly at last year's les- tival. K-W Oktoberfest came out of it with a deficit of approximate- ly $12,000, largely due to cost over-runs in producing the Operetta. Total festival budget last year was more than $960,000. Oktoberfest 'tta will feature some so cultur- al and general events, including such new ad- ditions as wrist- wrestling, a car rally and wine-tasting. Local servin- clubs and non-profit organi- zations are Invited to contact the Oktoberfest office. 885-4000 if inter ested in selling the lot, tery tickets as a fun- dralslng venture. Under the hallback program Oktoberfest will split the ticket prtce with my group selling the tickets.