My favorite teacher was Sandra Allison.  She was my english teacher and also sponsored the newspaper, which I was on.  She was kind of my mentor and she truly inspired me.  She also sponsored me for a poetry competition at the Flagler museum.  I believe it was called WhiteHall.  Many, many kids loved her.  Anyone remember her?

I was co-editor of the paper in my senior year, 1967. Since I had taken the course as a Junior, It was a no-credit course my senior year. But Sandra was a sweatheart and tolerated Sam Pepper and I graciously. He was in the same academic situation I was.

Anyway, one day Sandra had a problem. Her mother was coming into town and Sandra couldn't get to the airport to pick her up. So she asked me if I would mine taking her car and picking her up. Of course I could, Sandra had a brand new GTO!!! Don't remember anything about her mother, but the car was fantastic!

Thomas,

I may have been in her class in 1967-68 with Sarah but some memories of fave teachers and classes are not as good as others. I had no fave teachers to speak of. And that's not saying a lot after going to that high school for 4 years, 1964-68. Maybe Mr Brandenburg for Spanish I was pretty good. Remember him? He was German-American (obviously) and also taught German as an elective. Two years of Spanish were required and in your senior year you could elect French or German. Brandenburg was a fluent German speaker and would sometimes start reading in German in our Spanish class, just to break the 5th period boredom between 2 and 3 pm and the final BELL! 

A lot of us on this board seem to remember Ms Allison. I can't. The name rings a bell but faces fade after 40 years especially teachers faces! I recall an English class in 1966-67 with a teacher who may have been Allison but I DOUBT seriously she would've driven a new GTO. The one I recall was bookish, middle 30s or older and had that quiet intellectual one-room school house, school marm way about her. The class was American Lit because I recall us having to read Nathaniel Hawthorn, James F Cooper, and Joseph Conrad. Help me out, what did Ms Allison look like? If she's the one we had as a substitute in 1967, then she was young very young around 22 and fresh out of teachers college. From Georgia, I recall, a newlywed, and in the looks department; short, cute, blond and a relief to look at at 2 pm in the afternoon, and very tolerant of us, and with a sense of southern humour. She was close to our age which meant she was hip to late 60s happenings. So I can see her tooling around the parking lot laying rubber. Everyone with a hot sports car laid rubber around the lots and up E 28th Street. That strip is now gone. When Suncoast expanded in the early 90s they cut E 28th Street in two. and it now curves around the new buildings. If you live there you know. I haven't been home, and it was my hometown, in too long a time. I wonder how many of those teachers are still with us , or if they know about this website. Surely most have since retired. The youngest ones in their 20s may stilll be teaching. Would be nice to know where they all are. I doubt if any of the RBHS staff ever stayed long at Suncoast. That school was at the forefront of the school bussing furore. And a riot broke out in 1971. Made the national news.

Rob 1968

Hi Robert

 Hey, call me Tom. No one calls me Thomas!

I'm not sure if it was Ms Allison or not. We had three different teachers on the newspaper staff, not all at the same time. I forget who the first one was, the 2nd was a middle-aged woman, who had a drinking problem and loved to wear purple, orange, and red, all at the same time. Too much makeup all the time. She looked like a clown and acted like a drunk. She didn't last long. Her replacement was a young lady, a little on the pudgy side, but a heck of a nice person. Had to be in her early 20's.

I remember Mrs. Brandenburg teaching spanish. I think I passed the course with a D.  Had Mr. Ornstein for Chemistry, Mr Neyhart for American History, Mr Martin (dude knew how to dress!) for Drama.

Miss Meadows I had for Soph and Jr English. She was one I really liked. She actually went on a date with my dad. They dropped me off at home and then went on their way. Weird! But she taught me a lot and demanded the best from everyone. I often wonder where she is and what she's doing.

Mickey Neal, coach of the basketball team.

Mr Knowles, Driver's Ed.

Mr Canipe, principal.

Tom

Looking at picture of Ms Allison now, Robert your description is way off, not even close.

HI Jerry!

could you post a pic of Ms Allison?

Tom

Only have yearbook picture.

Ms. Allison was young, in her twenties, short dark hair, a bit pudgy.  She lived alone in WPB in a small apartment.  She wore shirtwaist dresses, Villager style.  She was very bright and open minded.  She had more in common with the kids than she did with staff, I would imagine.  She was rather quiet but a gifted teacher,  She nurtured her students.  I would not be surprised if at some time in her career she got in trouble for that.  She made a difference for this student.  I think that is the highest compliment one can give a teacher. 

Sarah, you described her to a "T".

Tom

Thomas Garrett wrote:

Okay well and good. Apparently, Jerry, you have a yearbook, Class of 1967.. Could you do us and Tom, a big one and scan her photo and somehow get it up for us all to see? I draw a complete blank about Ms A.

BTW, are you closely related to Brenda Bullard Class of 65? Won't get into details now but we probably know each other. I'm from the original Riviera families, mother's side, who immigrated ca 1910 from the Bahamas. You know what I mean so I don't have to.. explain. I have done a lot of Riviera families ancestry research online the past few years. You won't believe what I've dug up about those 10 or so family's history. Simply won't believe it. Unless you know what I know..

Cheers for the Season. Way out there in Vegas!

Rob

She made a difference for this student.

Thank God that teacher helped you.. and gave you a pathway and a goal. RBHS, from about my sophomore year, only made me want to count the days til graduation. No teacher there made much of a bit of difference to me. Or for me. And were mostly indifferent to my problems and needs. That attention and mentoring had to wait, and made it all the more sweet, til I got to PBJC fall of '68, and beyond. NYC in the 70s.

Happy XXXXmas to you and you're little 4.0 leftist too.. Love her. Still have to get back to our music thread, maybe after the holidays.

Rob

Yes we are related.  I guess I do not know what you know.

Rob, well, it's just that teachers and adults have so much power in their hands when it comes to kids of any age.  So many misuse it.  Encouragement, understanding, and acceptance go along way with any kid.  By the way I got a "C" in Spanish too and it turned me off from pursuing any further study in foreign language.  See what I mean?  And my "3.9" lefty had a time with her teachers in school.  The ones that made a differerence for her were the free thinking, creative, opened minded ones which were few.  And of course her mother, who raised her above all to QUESTION and THINK.

PS Rob, I asked Ms. Dennis once why she gave me an "A" in art when I was such a crap artist and Dave Rubinson a "B" when he was clearly gifted.  She replied "Because he can do better".

Rob,

Spring of 67 Mickey Neal was our Dean and Coach Knowles was the varsity basketball coach.

Miss Allison, at that time, did have a green GTO and wanted to race my friends Gary Harrington's Fairlaine GT 390. It never happened. She was a little short and pudgy but had a very nice personality. Now, Mr. Neal's basketball's team didn't win the conference finals in 67. Our baseball team in 68 was the first sport team in RBHS to win a conference title and we lost the regionals in Merritt Island to my Pittsburg Pirate buddy Bob Hayes. He and I were drafted #1 by the Pittsburg Pirates in 1969. We played together for 3 years before going in our seperate ways. Anyway, My favorite teacher was Mr. Ostean, Chemistry. That's my 2 cents.

Rudi,

Class of 66 won the Suncoast Basketball Championship only losing 2 games, our first and last games of the year under Coach Neal and went to State in Orlando.  Class of 67 also won the Suncoast Basketball Championship under Coach Knowles, actually we were Co-Champions in 67 with PBHS.  I played on both teams.  We were also Suncoast Basketball Champions in 64.  Bill Stansfield and Rick Lee were on that team.

My favorite teacher was Margo Zammit, speech & drama. She was young, beautiful. Miss Florida. Every guy took her class. I was in the Jr.Sr.play called "Mrs. McThing". We were rehearsing one day and she made us do it over and over and I forgot I had a mike on and said the "S" word and of course she heard it. She called me aside and really let me have it. I felt so ashamed because I had disappointed her. Would really like to know what happened to her. She was married to a baseball player but later divorced.  

Another favorite was Mrs. Wilson, algebra. What a wonderful teacher she was. I visited her several times after she retired. Her son Ed Wilson and I are good freinds.

Brenda Stiles Pelfrey '65'

Brenda Joy Stiles Pelfrey wrote:

Mrs. Zammit, took me aside one day in drama class and told me she didn't want me to get in trouble like some other guy she knew.  I wasn't sure what she meant but it had somethin to do with girls.  And I thougt it was the girls who had to worry about getting in trouble.