College Elementary School Sixth Grade Class of 1961

Iris J. Meltzer's Page
(information revised 2/00)

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Maiden Name: Iris Meltzer (was married from 1973-1996, but kept my birth given name throughout)
Address: 419 E. College Ave. Kent, OH 44240
 Home telephone: (330)678-4730
E-mail address: imeltzer@earthlink.net
Education:  graduated MPHS 1967; B.A. University of Michigan (Residential College) 1971; M.A. Western Carolina University 1975 (both in psychology), currently working towards a Masters in Public Health through the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine
Occupation(s):For the past 15 years I have been with Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron doing program planning and development and advocacy for adolescents.  The majority of my work is in the community and my (current) title is Manager, Department of Adolescent Services.
Years at College El: Jr.Kdg - 6th grad
Year in Sixth Grade: 1960-61

 Recollections of the College El

I have many scattered recollections from that era including picture tiles (story book characters, I believe) surrounding the fireplace in the kindergarten classroom; not knowing until years later what Mrs. Thiers was doing when she tapped a rhythm on her music book and asked us to identify what the song was; getting to be a member of the safety patrol and feeling very responsible; "hall sing"--for those of us who lip sync "happy birthday" at children's birthday parties, what a humbling memory; Miss Praeger in a skit at camp running around in a long white nightgown with her hair down and flying out behind her; Miss King telling me that because my hands were "too small", I had to make my people 3 hands high, instead of 2 hands high; having Valerie Strong (cheerleader and homecoming queen) as a student teacher and figuring she'd reached the pinnacle of womanhood; telling a student teacher in a very early grade that (contrary to her opinion) larva refers to immature insects and that lava is what flows down the sides of a volcano.

Personal News

News of your personal experiences you would like others to know about: After college I worked/volunteer/lived as part of a folk music co-op in Saratoga Springs, NY, where once again I hung out with Kay Porterfield.  After graduate school I worked for two years in Asheville, NC as a regional school psychologist (the only one for 12,000 students covering 3 rural counties and the city of Asheville).  After the birth of our daughter, Moira, in 1977, my husband and I moved to Kent, Ohio.  I pretty much did social work and practiced psychology for a couple of years until I got involved starting a shelter for battered women and their children.  I served as the first executive director of that program, a position I held for 4 years. After being on call 24-7 for that time, I moved to Children's Hospital and have been there for the past 15 years.  I have one daughter, Moira.  She is 22 and will graduate from the University of Michigan this spring.  Shortly thereafter she and her fiance, Jeremy, will wed.

News of your parents and/or siblings

My parents still live in Mt. Pleasant.  My father , Bernard Meltzer, retired from the Department of Sociology a number of years ago, but he still goes to his office in Anspach Hall daily (only now he drives, instead of walking).  Mom still bakes most of their bread and all of their deserts.  My brother Bill, who was in the last College El class, now lives in Worthington, OH with his wife Cathy.  He is a reference librarian at the local public library.



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