Al Nanders:
CLASS OF 1957
Shirley Street SchoolClass of 1957
Toronto, ON
Runnymede Public SchoolClass of 1989
Toronto, ON
King Edward Public SchoolClass of 1975
Toronto, ON
Pauline Avenue Public SchoolClass of 1972
Toronto, ON
Parkdale Collegiate InstituteClass of 1962
Toronto, ON
Al's Story
Shirley Street School 1956-57: Remember Mr. Harry Melmer (gr.7) and Mr. Clare Heard teaching grade 8.
I was the 2nd New Canadian kid arriving at the end of Grade 7 in May 1956. What ever happened to fellow students like George Holian, Ernie Pani, Jack Kingsley (big fellow, with a mind of his own), Sandra Woodburn, Joanne Stade, Ingrida ?, Danny Hibbins, Mike (McNair?) Help me remember and please get in touch.
I became an Officer in the Canadian Army when I was young, but also went into teaching. Exactly 10 years after I was in Mr. Heard's gr. 8 class (1956-67), which was the last year before Shirley became a K-6 junior school..... exactly 10 years later I walked in Gladstone Sr.P.S. off Queen Street to visit Mr. Heard who was in his last year or two of teaching .
He looked at me for seconds and said "Axel" oh I know you changed it to "Al" ....."Al Nanders .... you had just immigrated with your parents from Berlin, Germany and were struggling a bit with the English they had taught you in Europe.-I haven't seen you since you graduated from Grade 8 at Shirley about 10 years ago. What have you been doing? You look good", he said pointing at my blazer, grey flannels, shirt and tie. Mr. Heard paused and looked at me quizzically for an answer.
I waited until Mr. Heard had made a pause, and then I pulled out my contract as a probationary (rookie) teacher for a Grade 6 class with the Toronto Board of Education that I had signed the day before, as I was almost ready to graduate from Lakeshore Teachers' College in New Toronto in May of 1967.
Mr. Heard said nothing for about 10 seconds, then his eyes got misty and he cleared his throat and finally uttered with a gruff tone but a smile on his face: '"Well, I'll be darned. Good for you Al, my lad." -With that he put his arm around my shoulder and introduced me to what seemed every fellow teacher and grade 7 or 8 student he knew, with words like: "Al was an immigrant boy a few years ago, but he stuck it out with school and now I am proud to say Al is a colleague and a fellow teacher.
That was many years ago; years later I would leave the Toronto Board and became a high school teacher (English, Remedial Maths and Special Education) for the Peel District School Board. In about 1972 or 1973 I met Mr. Harry Melmer my grade 7 teacher at Shirley St. P.S. during the two months of school (May and June 1956) when I had just immigrated with my parents from Germany. Mr. Melmer and I were both at the University of Toronto (O.I.S.E.) pursuing a second graduate degree in Education. He remembered me when I introduced myself! Wow! - Let me tell you it's awkward when you meet a former teacher and everyone else is on a first name basis. He did not mind being called "Harry", but I took to teasing him by addressing him as "Mister Harry" , and Mr. Melmer retorted in referring to me as "Master Alan". - We both got our extra Education degrees and then I lost touch with him.
Fellow students I remember from Shirley St.P.S. (1956-57 the last grade 8 class there with Mr. Clare Heard) include:
Danny Hibbins, Joanne Stade, George Holian, Sandra Woodburn, Monika Zado, Ernie Pani, Mike Mc.?, a big kid named Jack Kingsley and others. I still have a grade 8 Class Photo. Anyone interested?
Does anyone remember the students mentioned, or what became of them?
I would love to hear from you, even if you were not in my year.
My wife (Vicki) and I live in Kitchener now, and I still teach about 8 to 12 hours a week, only it is Adults at Conestoga College. Yes it is mainly English but also Mathematics, if necessary.
Does anyone remember me from Shirley P.S. ( or later at Parkdale C.I. till 1963 in grade 13! and my work in Army Cadets? - What about my year (1966-67) at Lakeshore Teachers' College in New Toronto. I was very active ib Student Council then and also served part-time as a Reserve Army Officer (lieutenant) with the Royal Regiment of Canada. (It was a long family tradition to serve in the...Expand for more
Military - preferably as an Officer - before seeking out a civilian occupation.)
I would love to hear from you. (we`re also the only Nanders in Kitchener!)
Since retiring 3 times ( 1998 from Toronto Elementary teaching , 2008 from Peel Secondary where I taught half-yime while on pension, and Conestoga College where I taught English and Remgial Maths on a part-time basis to adults until 2011) I have done much volunteer work.
I am one of 4 citizen reps on the Region of Waterloo Seniors' Advisory Council. I also serve as a volunteer Liaison Officer for the Army Cadet League of Onario. (Many may remember my keen interest in Army Cadets while at Parkdale Collegiate from 1957 to 1962. Well I served for almost 20 years in the Army Reserves was commissioned as an Officer and retired in the rank of Captain, while working with Army Cadets (aged 12 to 18) during the last few years. Those were good times, because I gave back to "Cadets", an institution that had helped me get launched when I was a youngster back im my years (1957-1962) at Parkdale C.I.
The Miltary were good to me. A few years ago I was awarded the "Canadian Fordes Decoration" (C.D. medal) for years of diligent service, (which as veterans we jokingly refer to as "years of undetected crime!) - It feels good, when I look back to 1964 to 1966. Many of my of my friends and age mates grew their hair long, smoked suspicious weeds and repeated the common opinion and mantra of the time, which was to hate anything in uniform. (I was different, perhaps in part because I have a Prussian background.)
In contrast, I was inspired by the peaceful nation of Switzerland where the majority of men received military training with a view of defending the country and man-made (wars) or natural disasters. So I trained to become an officer dring 1964 to 1966 and served later with the Royal Regiment of Canada (in the officer rank of lieutenant during the late 1960's. That decision to become a soldier and officer in a peaceful nation like Canada did not prevent me from disliking strongly what the Americans were doing in Vietnam. As a matter of fgact I donated 10% of my military pay for years to support American draft dodgers and conscientious objectors who escaped from the USA to settle in Canada. (For many years later when I listened to CBC 1 morning radio host Andy Barry (who was an ex-American draft dodger, I knew I had made a good decision during the heady Vietnam years of the mid-1960,s. - What are the lyrics of that old poignant song Frank Sinatra used to sing .......|I did it MY way!!
In addition, now back to 2013, I support a food bank and a local women's shelter and function as the Seniors' Group vice-pres. for the local Concordia Club of Kitchener (which is known for having started "Oktoberfest" in Ontario in 1968).
I was fortunate to be recognized for my multi-faceted volunteer work of the last few years.
On January 13, 2013, i was one of 13 local residents to be awarded the 2012 Queens Diamond Jubilee Medal for volunteer service. (*Now my previous C.D. medal from the Militaru won#t be lonely when I attend a military dinner or formal function.)
I would urge anyone who remembers me from Shirley St. P.S., Parkdale C.I., University of Toronto ( B.A. and B.Ed. and Masters work), Lakeshore Teachers College (1966-67) or any of the schools I twught at iin Toronto, or Peel Board Secondary, or students I taught at Conestoga College (2008 to 2011) to drop me a line.Vicki and I are also the only |Nanders| in the phone directory for Kitchener-Waterloo.
For those with a bit of imagination I can be reached electronically via the net if you can shorten the following:
alan dot nanders at utoronto dot ca. (All of the previous without any spaces anywhere!.)
Cheers,
Alan Joachim Nanders
Cheers,
Al Nanders
I always wanted to be a diver when I grew up. My family and friends thought that was a wrong idea. As it turns out, they were right. ( I live in Kitchener).
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