MKES Preps for Building's 100th Birthday

History has come close to home for students at , who are learning about its history to coincide with the building's centennial.

Students have been working on a range of projects, such as listing other important events of 1912 - the sinking of the Titanic and arrival of the Oreo cookie are among the big items found - thank you letters for the school, and a list of what things cost 100 years ago.

"It's so exicting," said Mary Ellen Matts, an MKES teacher and lifelong Mount Kisco resident. She is among several faculty and staff planning for the centennial, which includes a celebration today.

The purpose of the building was to replace an older, wooden school that was condemned, Susan Polos, an MKES staff member who is part of the organizing group. The 1895 structure was less than two decades old when it was deemed overcrowded.

While the building's size expanded over time and now houses students from pre K-5, at its start it contained students from grades 1-12, Matts explained.

The building also served as Mount Kisco High School, according to Matts, until school district consolidation in the 1950s led the village to join the Bedford Central School District, and in turn, with older students then going to Fox Lane High School.

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In the school's library exists a museum of sorts, both for the building and for Mount Kisco in general. It include vintage photographs and sports items for Mount Kisco High School, photos of the downtown and other assorted items from decades past.

Learning the school's history brought new lessons for kids.

Fourth grader Justin Gruber learned that when building is not the same size as an elementary school, compared to its high school days.

Carmen Rodriguez, a fourth grader, got to write a thank you for how the school has helped her, such as teachng her English.

Today's MKES will be leaving its own mark, with a time capsule having recently been buried. Among those involved with it was Jennifer Tully, a third-grade teacher whose class submitted a copy of a pilot literacy test. She feels that it will be interesting for those who retrieve it, to compare the test with what they will have in the future.

"We've all learned so much," said Polos.

The school will have a cornerstone celebration today to mark the building's birthday. It will run from 10 a.m. to noon, on the school grounds.

To learn more about the building's history, click here for a special section of the school's website.

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