If you lived in Windsor Terrace it was highly likely you attended Holy Name Grammar school. Some kids went to P.S. 154, 107 and even I.S. 88. I was enrolled in Holy Name from 1970-1978. From Sister Maureen’s first grade class all the way to Miss Prescott’s graduating class of ‘78, I had a ball, literally.
We played basketball, baseball, intramural football, whiffle ball, stick ball, pitching-in, swift (in P.S. 154) hand ball, slap/punch ball and taps. Most readers will know what the first couple of sports are that I mentioned but probably aren’t too familiar with taps and swift. (Sorry, you’ll have to wait for definition at a later date).
Whether we were in the boys schoolyard playing basketball or the girls schoolyard playing stickball, we always found something to do.
We could be on the corner of Fuller and Windsor playing Whiffle ball and keeping stats or we could be in the Lot on Windsor and 16th street playing hardball.
Hanging out in Prospect Park we had legendary stickball games in the parking lot closest to Prospect Park West and the Circle. John Cain was the fastest dude going from 1st base to home plate.
At night we would play whiffle ball in the school yard of P.S. 107. If you hit the synagogue across 8th avenue it was an automatic Home Run.
‘Pitching - in’ during the early evening hours or Sunday afternoon in the girls schoolyard watching Kenny Lawson throw smoke from the pitchers mound. Or Jimmy Cullen taking “Boo-lah” deep in the boys school yard across Prospect Avenue and over the roof.
Intramural football was played in both schoolyards. Mr. Mussa, ran a great league. We kept stats and gave out awards. The highlight was hearing your name mentioned when the announcements came on at the end of each school day.
Finally, if you played basketball for Holy Name you were always the “Travel Team” on the C.Y.O. schedule. And if you were one of the fortunate ones, you know exactly what that meant.
E-mail me with any comments, stories or memories of your time in Windsor Terrace.
SteveFinamore@yahoo.com
WHAT ABOUT WHEN MICKEY MCNALLY, REFEREE FOR THE SUMMER LEAGUE, HE CALLED IT LIKE IT WAS,,,,,,I KNOW I HAD HIM FOR A SCHOOL TEACHER AND A COACH ,,,,,,,,HE WASNT EASY. I ENJOYED KICKING FARRELLS BUTT IN THE SUMMER LEAGUE,,,,,,,,,ELROD BUNDRICK, PATTY BYRNES, RAY COLLURA,RAYMOND SUPERFLY MCNEIL, AND MY MAIN
MAN , MIKE RUDI ROUTHIERE, WE WOULD BEAT FARRELLS RIGHT OUT OF THE YARD,,,,,,,,,,,,,PEOPLE LIKE MILO ANDS OTHER LOCALS WOULD WATCH FROM OUTSIDE THE YARD AND BET ON THE GAMES. IT WAS GREAT. I REMEMBER THOSE GREAT SUMMER NIGHTS………………..PEACE JOHNNY FIN
P.S. 107…How many people in here had Miss Mooney for Kindergarten?
I think most people who went to Holy Name (everybody from 11th. Street to 16th. Street anyhow) did.
How about Summer Day Camp at 107…arts and crafts, yard sports, the bus rides and the great end of the summer shows. I think most of the kids in there were from Holy Name too. A bunch of us started going to 154 in later years (or double dipping anyhow) because they had better trips.
And how about the friday night youth group at that Baptist Church on 16th. and 8th.? Some of us started going there because they had lots of trips to Shea on Friday Nights. On Sunday nights in the summer, we usde to sit on the stoops on 8th. and watch them have outdoor services..we always joined in when the sang “Bringing in the sheaves!!!”
TOMMY WOW HOLY NAME KIDS AT THE BAPITST CHURCH!!! NEVER HEARD ABOUT THOSE TRIPS NICE. THANKS FOR SHARING YES THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, I FORGOT ABOUT ALL THOSE ACTIVITIES WE WENT TO THE ONE ON 14TH ST AND 8TH AVE. YES DOUBLLE DIPPING!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey Tommy,
PS 107- Miss Mooney! What a riot! She was so nice. I remember being so frightened the first day of school- lining up against that wall- I cried! I did not want to go…But I also remember the cookies and milk and even nap time…Ahh youth!!
Show and Tell was my favorite subject!
My dad, Phil Volastro, was a teacher at holy name. Anybody have him? How was he? He passed away 8/2000 & I would love to hear any old stories about him. Thx.
Steve,
Do you mind if I place your request on the front page of the next Blog entry? I’m not sure if readers of the blog will see this?
Hope you are well.
Thanks for stopping…
I had MR Volastro in the 5th 7th and 8 grades.. He like me and always let me slide on some home but when he got angry out came the paddle.
I remember when he had a few of the bigger kids refuse to take the paddle for not doing there home work he would go get MR. Pete Gillian.
Every one feard him. It was all over when Pete came in the room.
You dad was an awsome techer who was tough but we learned. Sorry to hear of your loss. I miss the guy.
I had Mr. Mussa in fifth grade. He let me knit in the hallway one day when I came back from Science with Mr. C……I didn’t feel like going into the classroom.
I had Mrs. Leonard for kindergarten at PS 154. She was THE BEST!!
Sure, that would be great if you could put my request on the front page, Thx! I would love to hear more old “war stories”.
Thx, Mike. Hope he didn’t hit you too hard! Yeah - he had a temper that my ass sometimes feels to this very day!!! I miss him too.
Steve
Steve Volastro
I didn’t have your father as a teacher, because back then Holy Name had the boys and girls departments separated, but my mother was the secretary for the boys
principal and I remember your dad coming to my house once or twice for some
parties. He was a really nice guy.
sorry for your loss
Maryann
An old friend turned me on to this website, does anybody remember my good friend Rudy K. ? I grew up on 13th street between 8th and 9th ave. spent many saturdays at sanders movie theater, saw many movies such as karate flicks and the exorcist etc… hung out in ps 107 school yard, sleigh riding at prospect park, then went to is88 john jay highschool, i remember slick and lala scared me to death, is sean riley did he used to hang out with bozo and kevin avlerizez who died on 8th ave sorry to say, i worked in C and S meat market on 7th ave and 8th street i used to deliver meat on the heavy bicycle. i also played football for st. savior church in early 70’s peewee league, does anybody remember the pool hall they opened on parkside circle?
hey fin
your name sounds familiar did u or a family member hyng out with angelo or john sarris? let me know
atg51169@aol.com
PS 107 Kindergarten in 1949-1950 you were marked on such academic subjects as covering your mouth while coughing, dirty fingernails and sharing. U for unsatisfactory and S for satisfactory.