History of Our School

First school year Kenneth McCoy - principal. There were six classrooms.

Ellis Crosby replaced McCoy. Mr.Crosby was principal until he retired on June 30th, 1981.

Four more classrooms added. (Front wing & administrative unit-Supply Office)

Cafeteria completed.

Last wing next to playground completed.

Newspaper article listed the following as expected enrollments:

The trees between the wings of the school were donated by teacher Carol Givens. (Her daughter-in-law, Nancy Givens, also taught at Daves Avenue.) They are small leaf maples, seedlings from her home.The Modesto Ash trees, on the playground south of the buildings, are courtesy of Girl Scout Troop 328 and Brownie Troop 47.

There are now 19 classroom teachers(K-5), a music teacher, a secretary and a principal.

Learning Center and Library are built. The school now has 22 teachers, a librarian and assistant to the librarian.

Peak enrollment! 28 classroom teachers and 700 + students! 1976-77 - Early Childhood Education Program is initiated. There was much opposition from part of primary staff and some parents. By April of 1977, the program is in great shape with lots of parent and teacher support.

24 classroom teachers. February 1, 1980 - Library and Learning Center were vandalized ($5000 damage estimated)

District Office moved to Daves Avenue and the Learning Center is divided to make room.

Charlene McKee replaces Ellis Crosby as principal.

Maury Nelson replaces Charlene McKee as principal of Daves Avenue.

Cleo Osborne replaces Maury Nelson as principal of Daves Avenue.

Susan von Felten became principal of Daves Avenue, replacing Cleo Osborne. (Maury Nelson was interim principal for about six weeks prior to Ms von Felten starting in October.)

Cat Pirate mascot was revised to include his "Chest of Knowledge". The artist was a friend of a Daves parent. The H&SC implemented the board term from January to December providing transition and maintaining consistency during the summer.

October: Daves H&SC sponsored our first "Fun Walk" which was a great financial and community building success. The Cat Pirate was revised to be a slim, healthy runner by the chair's sister.

Construction began at Daves Avenue School. Daves students were bused to Athenour School in the Union School District which was leased for the course of the project. The students voted to call the new campus Daves Away. The Cat Pirate was turned into a bus driver for our Daves Away logo (drawn by Daves parent, Frank Pollifrone.) The students attended Daves Away from August 2005 until December 2007.

Return to campus on Daves Avenue. Daves Avenue enrollment is 550 students.

The H&SC sponsored a student contest to retire our pirate cat logo. The surfer cat was drawn by 5th grader Ryan Bailey.

The last class to be educated in the "old Daves" graduates. They were kindergarteners in the old Daves then went to Daves away as first graders.