Maurice Peve of the Class of 1946 was honored Saturday night as the oldest guest at the North Nodaway Alumni Reunion and led the people present in the singing of the fight song. His favorite teacher was his basketball coach, L.C. Skelton, who he said was a fatherly figure to his boys. Mr. Peve remembered Ab Owens from the late 1930’s well; Owens set the standard as he was always the best player on the court, and in the rare event his teams lost, he would stay in the locker room disconsolate while his coach would console him and they would figure out ways to ensure it wouldn’t happen again.
Owens’ #55 was retired, and his mates continued the high standard he had set, cumulating in a state runner-up finish in 1942, coming within four points of the state title before falling 45-41 to Greenwood. That was when Missouri schools were divided into two classes, forcing one to play much bigger schools if they wanted to contend for a state title.
Peve and his mates continued that tradition for the next four years, regularly beating the likes of Benton and Maryville. He took care of himself well after he graduated, biking 3,000 to 4,000 miles a year at one point, remembering where he came from, and employing a lot of people in the community over the years. He was greeted by many well wishers at Saturday’s reunion.
Superintendent Chris Turpin gave an update on how the school was doing. When he got there three years ago, he asked staff what was needed at the school, and what came out of those conversations was the goal of making all their students college and career ready. One of the first things he did was do away with the limit on students who could attend vo-tech; despite the expense, he said it was worth it if the school believed in its mission. One year saw 21 students attend vo-tech; the school year that was recently finished saw 14.
Ever since then, the school has moved to expand opportunities. Two students are in the process of taking exams; if they pass, they will become FAA certified drone pilots. Juniors and seniors are doing job shadowing, and the school has done work releases for students to work for local employers while staying on track to graduate.
The school recently finished its periodic Comprehensive School Improvement Plan. The focus will be on student achievement, especially literacy; opportunities; culture and climate; textbooks; and fiscal responsibility. For instance, Mr. Turpin noted Saturday that there was local demand for plasma cutting, so the school added it to the ag program.
Among opportunities offered include volleyball, football, basketball, track, dance, cheer, band, FFA, Leo Club, FBLA, Scholar Bowl, and music programs including choir and drum line.
Recently, the school hosted an FFA competition in which 20 schools and 350 kids participated. North Nodaway FFA students helped run the competition. It went well, and the school is planning to offer it again.
Every elementary teacher is getting certified in LETRS, which is a program to help teachers understand the science of how kids learn to read and spell. Teachers will take tests after taking it for two years to get certified.
With the high price of college and student loan debt being in the news, a lot more students are taking vocational programs, but there are still opportunities for traditional college programs. The school offers 11 different dual credit courses through Northwest and North Central Missouri College, which will give students a head start if they choose to go to college.
When Mr. Turpin started, the school’s reserves were down to $1.2 million, with needed maintenance being deferred. The passage of the bond issue allowed the school to free up money to do needed maintenance on the school and build up their reserves. The wind farm money means that the school will have an estimated $2.4 million in reserves by the end of the current school year.
The bus barn, when completed, will have seven bus bays and one wash bay, which means that bus drivers won’t have to come an hour before they have to set out on their bus routes to scrape ice off and warm the buses up.
The security entrance at the front of the high school will make it a lot easier for staff to screen visitors. “Protecting staff and kids is my top priority,” said Turpin. The project includes an elevator, which ensures confidentiality when a student with special needs receives a visit from someone outside the school. The Hopkins School sign has been moved so that it will still be visible on the front of the building.
The addition to the Pickering building will free up space and allow for the school to accept more preschool students. The library will move from its current location to the new addition, freeing up that space to become the lunch room. That will free up the gym for more recess time and PE instruction, and will also be safer for kids, since they don’t have to carry trays down the steps.
In addition to the bond issue, the school has gotten around $305,000 worth of grants this year. The school got a $140,800 grant from the Rickard Trust to replace all 44 interior doors at the High School, which will be easier to secure in the event of an intruder. The old doors were given away to alumni at the banquet this year. The school got a school safety grant from the state, an air quality grant from the DHSS, a preschool startup grant, and a telehealth grant.
The school has not been without adversity. On April 4th of this year, a massive hailstorm caused $325,000 worth of damage to the school, and the school is working with the insurance company to get it paid for. The brand new roof at the bus barn needs replaced, along with the south side of the ag shop and the recreational center.
Steve Alexander of the North Nodaway Educational Foundation, reported on the scholarships they give out. They manage seven scholarships that people have established over the years, including their own. This year, they awarded their scholarship to Darron Bix, who is pursuing a degree in Accounting. They gave out $5,000 worth of scholarships this year.
A roll call was held with alumni from 1946 to 1993 being recognized. People attended from as far away as Austin (TX), Huntsville (AL), and Colorado. Peggy Lyons of St. Albans (VT) came from the farthest away. Twelve present were teachers and 15 present served in the military, with the oldest veteran having served in 1957.
The classes of 1953, 1963, and 1973 were honored. Graduating from the North Nodaway Class of 1973 were Richard Andrews, Richard Baldwin, Janet Brown, Ronald Burch, Rose Cassavaugh, Deborah Chesnut, Cynthia Coleman, James Collins, Marcia Cross, Donnetta Davis, Jeanne Everhart, Phil Forney, David Frueh, Jerold Harris, Cynthia Howard, Mark Huff, Sara Lawrence, John Linebaugh, George Livengood, Jacquelyn McKee, Rita Minshall, Joseph Mutti, Vicki Peve, Wren Peve, Ronald Robinson, Charles Roush, Margaret Sharr, Michael Smith, Susan Stelter, Anita Stringer, Vicki Titus, William Turner, Kirby White, and David Young. Two students who passed away in 1972, but who would have graduated, were Michael Lowrance and Randall Young.
New officers were elected for the 2024 reunion, which will be held May 25th at the North Nodaway School. Vicki Riley was President, Jackie Zarzour Vice-President, Secretary Diane Thomson, and Treasurer Dick Baldwin.
Alma Mater
As sung by Maurice Peve and the North Nodaway Alumni Saturday
Once again, here as schoolmates assemble,
We fain would lift our hearts in song,
To our High School, our dear Alma Mater,
Let gladness the moment prolong.
We are proud of her lads and her lasses,
Of honors won in days gone by,
So here’s a cheer for our old High School,
For our High School,
Our Dear Old High.
Here’s to our classes, here’s to our lasses,
Here’s to the lads they adore;
Here’s to the seniors so mighty,
Juniors so flighty,
“Freshie” and Sophomore!
Let mirth and gladness banish all sadness,
And as the days go by,
You’ll find us ready and steady,
Boosting our our “Old High.”
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