MAUMEE, Ohio — Union Elementary School, which has undergone multiple expansions and renovations, turns 150 years old this year.
This week, students at the school are getting lessons from the past.
"It has been a centerpiece in Uptown for 150 years. When you come across the bridge into Maumee it's the first building that you see," Maumee City Schools Spokesperson Nancy Sayre said.
Sesquicentennial celebration plans had to be postponed because of the pandemic but district officials say they didn't want to let the year pass by without commemorating the milestone with students.
"Our preschoolers are the ones that attend here now so they are the ones that are celebrating. Our teachers have been amazing incorporating all the concepts from the 1800s, past and present," Sayre said.
Teachers teamed up with Maumee Historical Society to create videos and incorporate some of the popular items from that time into the curriculum so the kids can learn about the history of their school.
"These are toys that were popular in the 1800s and we want to bring them into the classroom to give the kids a chance to compare things that we have now, that they played with a long time ago." Preschool Intervention Specialist Jen Schupp said.
Similarities with games from the past include the 9-pin game, what we now know as bowling.
Teachers will have events related to the history of the 1800s for the rest of the week.
Because of the pandemic, the original 150-year celebration with the community was canceled. The school district says they will now celebrate "150+1" years at the Maumee Summer Fair in 2021.
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