As Aquadale History Explorers Club turns 20 this year, club advisors and members were looking for ways to celebrate.

The club wants to highlight the history of the elementary school.

“The history club is doing a History in Action project for the N.C. Museum of History Junior Historian’s annual convention in April,” said JoEllen Teeter, club advisor.

She said David Wagoner began the History Club at Aquadale Elementary School.

New club members want to know more about their school. They will conduct a trip to the Stanly County History Museum to help with research.

“We have had a few parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles to share some of their reading books, pictures and yearbooks,” Teeter said. “It’s an exciting project that we hope to complete within the next few months. Our goal is to have a display with pictures and/or copies of pictures of Aquadale and the great people that have passed through these doors. We are hoping that someone has a picture of the old school so that we can display it as well.

“This will be a permanent display,” she added. “It’s also an interactive display-with pages that students can turn and look at, while some books and other items will be behind glass.”
Aquadale is like many of the smaller rural schools that were built in the 20th century, Teeter said.

“The school’s goal was to educate the children that lived in the community to be prepared for life. The same goal still applies today….many years later,” she said. “While looking through the older annuals, it’s apparent that many families have maintained and chosen to stay and raise their families in the Aquadale community. There’s a feeling of pride among many families that they have in Aquadale School. Many of the school’s volunteers are retired teachers and teacher assistants from Aquadale.”

She noted many members of Stanly County Schools’ department leaders attended Aquadale, such as Executive Director of Curriculum Danny Poplin, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Vicki Calvert and Director of Testing/Accountability Tim Hatley.

Principal Joy Stogner Hathcock is excited about the “This Is Our Aquadale” display.

“We are asking the Aquadale area and surrounding communities to help us with this undertaking by providing pictures, stories or memorabilia that we can display in our school,” Hathcock said. “If you have something that you would like to share for this display, please send it with a student, drop if off by the office, or get in touch with Mrs. Teeter. If you can help us by donating to this cause, please send it in with your name and any information with it (names, dates, etc.) so that we can note whom it was from. If we need to make a copy of a picture and return the original, please note that too when you send it in. We are excited for this opportunity to celebrate Aquadale School and the History Club’s anniversary.”

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