Great Big Western Trek

While we were in Portland, Danni and Marcus wanted to take us out to dinner one night. We ended up at the Kennedy School. It is a school that was closed in 1978, I believe, and abandoned. A creative entrepreneur bought the place in the early 90's I think they said. The  layout of the school is a big square with an open-air courtyard in the middle. One wing is a hotel, where the classrooms have been divided in half and decorated with kid produced art or objects specific to the former use of the room, like the shop, or the music room, for instance. One wing, where the auditorium used to be, is now a movie theater. The chairs for the theater are antique comfy living room chairs, sofas and coffee tables. They show old movies. The courtyard is now an open-air restaurant with a big fireplace roaring. The gym is equipped with Nautilus equipment. Another wing is conference rooms decorated with appropriate artwork. There are two bars, the Honors Bar and the Detention Room.

This next photo hold special significance for me. I am always telling the kids how they have to memorize the timers tables. Following that, I always make the statement, "I wish I could just open your heads and pour the information in, but it doesn't work like that!"  LOL! This is my dream job in a photo!

Music plays a big part in my life, at home and at school, so I was particularly drawn to this portrait outside the Music Room.

This mural was painted on the wall above the front entrance in the hallway. I love the thought! Having formerly been a Kingergarten teacher,  I agree wholeheartedly. Plus it sounds like a typical Pennsyvanmia Dutch proverb.  "What we learn early, we remember late."

This is a portrait done in the theater. The people in the portrait are the people after whom the rooms were named. One was a shop teacher, one a music teacher, one a principal and one a teacher who was at the school a really long time.

The door to the detention room was closed. Wonder what form of punishment was being meted out at the bar? LOL!

to the GBTrek

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Supposedly the place has a friendly ghost, too. Danni claims to have been in the ladies room with her once. Here is a picture of the ghost's portrait.