Such a sad day....I have many wonderful memories of going to the Shirley School as well as my two brothers, my father, many other relatives and friends. I always felt I learned so much while going there. We had so much fun playing basketball and sliding down behind Katherine and George's house and getting that old merry-go-round going really fast!! Best of luck to the last two students to go there, Dean and Ian and to all the dedicated teachers who taught there over the years. Mary Nye Dorsey

I, like I am sure so many others, are so sad to see the Shirley school no longer be in existence. I do understand the economics of the situation, however, that does not make it any easier to see the school be nothing but a memory now. Like most students during the time I attended, our siblings and other family members had attended the school where caring teachers, participative parents and great friendships met and developed a special entity. When I first attended the school we had no running water. A milk can from Greenville full of water would be placed on Tink Porter's bus. All boys and girls had chores assigned to them which we all considered an honor. Two boys would grab the milk can handles, bring the container into the school where the contents would be placed in two porcelain fountains, one for the small room and one for the big room. Big steam radiators would provide heat in the winter and woolen mittens and hats wet with snow would provide the stinky smell as they dried on the radiators from the winter's snow outside. Each day during our lunch period the classics were read to us. Such literary adventures we would go on. Holidays would bustle with paper and other forms of decorations being made and place thoughout the school as well as those we brought home. I could go on and on about the special period in time I got to experience as a student of the Shirley school.

As I said, I understand the economics, but there is always more than what does it cost. Although addressed, cost is never the first question to be asked. The first question to be asked is, "What does this investment return to me?" I was one of the students as a child who found school work very challenging. The only thing that really saved me was having teachers who gave significant individual time to each student, especially me. I did ok in Greenville schools, but the individual attention was no longer available and school would be a real struggle. I would go on to college where school work became a nightmare. One of the professors recognized my struggle, but more importantly my effort and committment to succeed. I had a learning disability that could and was corrected. I would go on to graduate with honors. I would do the same when I continued on to graduate school. From the little town and school of Shirley I would go on to have a very sucessful career in senior management leading multi billion dollar, world wide corporations. None of this would have been possible without the Shirley school.

I still have many items and photos from the Shirley school during my times attending in the 50s and early 60s. My most prized posession is the friendship I still have, even though thousands of miles away, with my former school friends.

Rod Layman

Somewhere-someplace a 'progressive' is smiling; one step closer to all the children of Maine being indoctrinated under one umbrella--i.e. consolidation.

I too attended the Shirley School, as did my mother and her brother a generation before me. We even had the same teacher, Mrs. Melvina Jacobson. Oh, the things that woman taught us all! What an education.... I always will remember that "the Shirley kids" were considered quite smart and always a step ahead when we entered Juniior High. I was in Shirley this past April with my cousins from Texas and we all were quite teary-eyed as we stood on the playground and just plain remembered. A sad day indeed this Thursday when those doors close for the last time as Shirley Elementary School. But kudos to those who managed to keep it open so long in these horrific economic times. It's just a building - a building full of memories. If those walls could talk.

Thank you to all the dedicated teachers, for sure, and best wishes to Dean and Ian, heading off to Greenville next year! Cheryl Colgan Ramsay

i am sad to hear of this school's closure. i personally applied to teach at this school because it was a one room school house. unfortuanatly i did not get hired but would have loved the oppertunity to teach multi ages at once. i feel that students learn just as well, if not better when a classroom is multi-aged.

Truth hurt huh !

I also have many fond memories while attending the Shirley School. I remember when the swings, the basketball court, the tetherball pole, and the merry go round were installed. How privileged we felt to have these things. We played there all the time even in the middle of winter, it was one of our gathering places.

My education was one of a kind. We respected our teachers and they respected us. I have always remembered when we finished the work assigned to our grade, we were able to listen in on what the other grades were studying.

I miss the wooden desks with ink wells and the slate blackboards that could give out a horrible screech if the chalk was held wrong.

My favorite teacher was Mr. Harold Kimball who taught me motivation comes from within and I could do anything if I tried. He used to glared at us over the top of his glasses if we got a little out of hand... And the two dates I told him I would never forget are: 1066, The Battle of Hastings, and 1215, the "signing" of the Magna Carta.

Best wishes to the last two students, you will go far if you try! Bill Nye

I believe we can all see why southtexaskate didn't get hired as a teacher at the Shirley school . Stupid is as stupid does . I hope she isn't teaching English!!!