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Story of the Alta Bells This play was performed for the first time on June 6, 2000 at Alta Elementary School. Members of the community, former teachers and former principal, Charles Mitchell, and the Reedley Historic Society were invited to attend this historic ceremony that was honoring the restoration of the first Alta Bell. All three bells have been painted and restored and are proudly displayed in front of Alta School. Fourth grade students performed the play, the school sang a version of "Alta Bells" (to "Silver Bells" tune), and fourth graders sang another song honoring the occasion. The play celebrates the return of the bell and includes the history of the three bells.
Narrator:
Papa Bell:
Mama Bell:
Baby Bell:
Script by Vickie Bloom's fourth grade class.Narrator: Once upon a time there were three bells. Papa Bell, Mama bell, and Baby Bell. (Ring each bell as it is mentioned). They were very proud bells. They stood in front of Alta Elementary School greeting all of the that visited there. They were all very happy. That is until one night when the happy bells heard a strange noise. Papa bell rang out, "Who is there?" (Ring bell) No one answered but then Mama bell sang out, (rings bell) "Who is there?" Again no one answered. All that Papa and Mama bell heard was the quiet ringing of baby bell. (gentle ringing) It seemed like such a sad sound and it seemed to be getting farther and farther away. (Cover baby bell with a cloth) Papa rang (ring bell) out as loud as he could and heard no reply. Mama sang out (ring bell) long and loud but again there was no reply. Baby bell was gone. Someone had taken her away. Now the remaining bells were very sad and stood silent for many days. Then Papa bell started to tell stories of the old days. He remembered his little school.
Papa Bell: Mama, do you remember my school?
Mama Bell: Yes, I think I do. It was the Whatoke School that stood out on Lincoln and Pederson.
Papa Bell: That's the one. I am so proud to represent that school. You know that school started in 1886 with only 25 students. Mrs. Baird, their teacher, stopped to ring me each day to call the students into class.
Mama Bell: That sounds like a cute little school.
Papa Bell: It was but then in 1912 the wooden school was torn down and in its place they built a two room brick building.
Mama Bell: Boy, you were getting fancy now.
Papa Bell: More and more kids came to our school and we had to add two more rooms in 1954. We had a great school.
Mama Bell: Where is Whatoke school now?
Papa Bell: Sadly there is no more Whatoke School. We had a fire and it burned down on New Years Day 1954. The kids and teachers had to finish the year meeting in the cafeteria or a room at Reedley High.
Mama Bell: The story of your Whatoke School reminds me of my home school, Mount Olive. Now that was a great school!
Papa Bell: But I heard you had the kids taking classes out on someone's front porch.
Mama Bell: Oh, that was Mrs. Edwards's porch. We had to meet there the fall of 1910. You see the classrooms were not finished when it was time for school to start.
Papa Bell: Well it sounds like she was very nice to let Mrs. Bice and her 35 students on her porch.
Mama Bell: Mrs. Edwards worked very hard to have our school built. In fact, she named our school Mount Olive and it was built in 1910 on her property. Mount Olive was so successful that in 1917 a second room had to be added and then in 1923 even a third room was needed.
Papa Bell: I wish Baby Bell was here. If she was she would tell about the original Alta School.
Mama Bell: You mean the one that was built on the corner of Dinuba and Englehart Avenues?
Papa Bell: Yes that's the one. Can you believe that school cost $7,000 to build and furnish?
Mama Bell: Yeah, and Mrs. Ellis and Mrs. Wuerth were paid only $75.00 a month for their work with the 56 students they had.
Baby Bell: (The cloth is pulled off the little bell) Well the principal only earned $80.00 a month.
Mama and Papa Bell: Hey where did you come from?
Baby Bell: Some people took me away and broke me but Mrs. Clemons got some nice men to fix me and here I am.
Mama Bell: We are glad you are back with us.
Papa Bell: Yes, now we are all together like we are suppose to be.
Baby Bell: We are all together here at the new Alta just like our three schools. I'm glad the kids from Whatoke, Mount Olive and Alta go to school all together now. I'm happy that we all became one school.
Papa Bell: Hurray for Alta (Ring the bell)
Mama Bell: hurray for Alta (Ring the bell)
Baby Bell: Hurray for Alta (Ring the bell)