Bonus Entry #1: 88th Street School - A Walk Around Memory Lane

Address: 3575 S. 88th Street, Milwaukee WI
Steps Taken: 1,716
Miles Walked: .81 miles
End Time: 4:20pm
End Temp: 63 degrees
End Weather: Partially Sunny, Some Clouds

Since Alcott park was so close, I decided to see what has become of my former elementary school. From K-5 until 4th grade it was simply called 88th Street School. My final year, 5th grade, they finally renamed the school for the unique curriculum, Milwaukee French Immersion School. Several years ago however, the school needed more space, so they moved to 52nd and North Avenue. (Coincidentally the sight of my former Middle School Steuben, which was shut down.) Today I was curious as to what was there now, if another school had moved into the building or if it was being used for something new. What I found was a little sad. The building is abandoned. I can't be too upset about it though, I know the school still exists, just at a different location. Plus, thanks to the area being abandoned I wasn't questioned by anyone today, wandering the outside grounds, snapping pictures, and probably just looking generally weird.

I find it interesting that they never bothered changing the Milwaukee Public Schools recreation area sign when the name of the school changed. This is how I chose what to title this bonus entry going with the former title of the school instead of the latter.

This was the entrance I used in 5th and 4th Grade.

The part of the playground with slides, jungle gyms, etc., got turned into a toddler playground.

I miss the metal, insect themed playground equipment that used to be here.  There was a giant caterpillar and a snail, fun times.

There are no swings now. We had one of the most unique swing sets I've ever seen. Metal arches that formed a dome, I remember all of us trying to swing high enough to hit the center peak of the dome. This is where it used to be.

Painted small circle track for playing games.

The "top of the hill" kickball diamond. This was almost always the one we used for gym class.

The corner of the playground I spent most of my recesses in 4th & 5th grade, reading books and hanging out with the couple of close friends I had.

The only grassy area of the playground.

We really did have possibly the largest playground of any Milwaukee public elementary school.

The race track, bane of my entire elementary school experience.

All I could find of the playground world map, the Southern half of Africa.

And of the United States, Alaska.

A four-square, I remember playing some game one morning before the start of the day in 1st grade. Can't remember the game itself or how it was played but I do remember it was windy and for whatever reason, probably rain later in the day, I had an umbrella. I remember opening the umbrella and almost flying away, scraping my knees all to hell and the umbrella broke.

There used to be another fenced kickball diamond here.

The entrance I used in 2nd & 3rd grade.

The entrance I used for 1st grade.

Part of what used to be the fenced in kindergarten playground. As a little kid the doors for the restrooms weren't labeled because they couldn't be accessed from outside. At some point this must have changed.

At some point they took down half of the fence for the fenced in kindergarten area.

The entrance to the gym.

The entrance I used in kindergarten.
  

I remember sitting on these entrance steps the day our bus didn't show up to take us home. A friend mine's parents ended up taking us home.

The main entrance to the school. Can you tell it's been a long while since it was last used?

Old PTA stickers still on the windows next to the main entrance.

Where the school sign used to be, between the two poles of wood. I can't remember if we used to fly both the U.S. flag and the Wisconsin state flag, or just the former.

The only boarded up windows I remember seeing. Pretty sure on the other side would be my 2nd grade classroom.

I really hope they eventually reopen this building for something. It would be nice to take a nostalgic stroll through the halls again.