CLEARFIELD — Eagles young and old packed into the lunchroom of Wasatch Elementary School last week during the school's big birthday bash.
Friends, students and alumni came to celebrate 60 years of memories of the two-story building that sits in the heart of a neighborhood just east of State Street at 270 E. Center St.
"This has been an exciting day for us at Wasatch Elementary," Kathy Scott, the school's 12th and current principal, said.
The day, March 16, was filled with activities from a moms and muffins reading event to birthday cake at lunch to an anniversary assembly in the afternoon. From 3:30-7 p.m. the public was invited to an open house as part of the festivities.
People could sift through the school's six decades of history in the media center, where several yearbooks sat open for examination. Also, class photos from yesteryear hung in the school's lunchroom during the open house.
Stephen Clark, who was a first-grader during the school's inaugural year, 1946, came to the party. His mother, Fannie Clark, also started during the school's first year as a second-grade teacher.
"I wouldn't have missed this for the world," Clark said.
He told several of his grade-school memories to current students during the anniversary assembly.
"It seems that my time here at Wasatch Elementary helped shape me to become whatever it is I am, and I will always remember my days here with a tear and a smile," he said.
Wasatch Elementary was built for $120,000 in 1945. It contained six regular classrooms, one preschool room, space for a cafeteria, library books, a teacher's room and office, and opened its doors to half of Clearfield's student population on Jan. 30, 1946.
It has changed over the years and gone through a couple of additions, but today approximately 300 students still flock to the school for their elementary education.
Scott said this summer, the Davis County School District will propose a bond to build six new elementary schools and rebuild Wasatch. If the bond is passed, the building of the new Wasatch Elementary School would probably be four or five years away and would cost about $9 million.
But until a new Wasatch is built, the original building will continue to be the home of the Eagles.
Sharon Price, who works in the school's math lab as a computer lab manager, started kindergarten at the school in 1948. She and four of her grade-school friends came to the school to take a look back.
"I just have lots of memories," Price said. "I left Wasatch, needless to say, for a quite a few years, but I have been back here for 10 years and I love Wasatch. Wasatch and everybody here holds a very special place in my heart."
Fourth-grader Carie Bullen also cherishes the school.
"It's just a great school," the student council member said. "I love Wasatch."
E-mail: nclemens@desnews.com