On January 1, 1913 a builder by the name of Cyrus E. Rooker handed over to the then Charleston School District #34 a two-room wooden structure that cost $1,394 to construct.  That new school building was located on a piece of property which ran along Naval Avenue.

In January 2013 the Naval Avenue Early Learning Center site will celebrate 100 years of continuous education. In anticipation of this event, the gathering of information about the overall history of the site is well underway. Photographs of the various school buildings that have operated on the site are being collected. Personal stories from 100 years of student, educator and parent participants are needed as well.

I encourage community members, friends and relatives of past Naval Avenue students or educators to submit their stories, photos and any historic school-related items during the next year. Volunteers will put it all together for a large community celebration set for early  2013.

Naval Avenue Elementary is dear to me personally. It is my neighborhood school.  My own child attended Naval Avenue for four years. I have been a classroom volunteer there as well as a previous member of its PTA.

Looking back, at some of the stuff that is already gathered, it makes me wonder what kind of stories will be told and what we, as a community, can learn  from those experiences.

The Naval Avenue school site has served generation after generation of Bremerton children for nearly a century and it is time for the community to show its appreciation.

Please help if you can. Submit any information or stories you might have regarding Naval Avenue. Current Naval Avenue PTA members are spearheading the collection efforts and will be putting everything together.

If you have something to submit, you can contact Wendy Stevens, the PTA president at navalavenuepta@gmail.com.  A Facebook page for Naval Avenue Centennial is up and more information about the history of Naval Avenue and the upcoming celebration will be posted to it as the year progresses.

Any letters, photos or historical items can be mailed to Naval Avenue Early Learning Center, Attn: PTA, 900 Olympic Avenue, Bremerton, WA  98312.

You can also send information to me at smidtracing@aol.com and I will make sure it is added to the collection.

Happy centennial, Naval Avenue.