Behold the beginning — Fox Hill Elementary
Now that the Fox Hill Elementary School is likely creeping toward the end of its life, let’s recount its birth in 1966. The school began as a snowflake. That was the original name for the new school, a reference to its appearance from above. The Snowflake School carved itself a niche in the woods, to serve a fast-growing corner of town near the Wilmington border.
Here’s the worlds heaviest snowflake taking shape.
Here’s the name in black and white, with capital letters.
Here’s the school in 1966/1967, before it even had a sign on the building. Maybe Burlington hadn’t settled on a name yet.
Fox Hill Road received its famous speed bumps in the mid-70s, an effort to protect walking and biking Fox Hill students from speeders.
Here’s Dr. Gloria Lombard, the first Fox Hill principal. She retired in 1991 and died in 2011.
If you can identify any other faces from 1967, leave the IDs in the comment section.
Alas, the school building is now obsolete. Too cramped, no AC, no fire sprinklers, inadequate security etc. Here’s a walk-through. Claustrophobics should refrain from watching.
Here’s the proposed Fox Hill, to appear before Town Meeting on Sept. 23:
That’s Westwood Street in the distance. The new building will sit where the current parking lot is.
This layout shows the footprint of the current building in red dotted lines. A snowflake melting away.
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Moved to Burlington in August of 1979. Went to Fox Hill for fourth grade.
Is the new school going to replace the Fox Hill and Pine Glen, or just the Fox Hill?
Pine Glen will remain.
The amount proposed to be spent on a new school with only 350 enrollment is not justified and neither is the fact that Pine Glen and Fox Hill will not be combined. When the Wildwood closed many years ago we were not given a choise of keeping it or letting go. The Pine Glen is a very old building that is costing too much to maintain!!!
I remember packing up and moving into Fox Hill( then called the snowflake school) from the Pine Glen when it opened in 66/67. We were the first 1st grade. Had Ms. Pearson in Pod 1.
John Hickey – 62 year Burlington resident
Pretty sure the teacher in black dress, in picture 2 is Miss Burchell. Not sure how to spell it, but she was special to the kids who had her. Video went by the library without looking in. Mrs Kingston was librarian when I was there, and it was my favorite part of the school. Then, in later years my mother was librarian there and at Meadowbrook. Why the claustrophobia comment? I never knew there was a whole name attached to Memorial School.
That was 100% Ms. Burchell lol I had her in the 80’s. She had a board with different topics and if you talked in class you had to write about the current topic lol I wrote A LOT 😆🤦♀️ I will never forget her LOL
Wow I didn’t notice Ms. Burchill until you pointed her out! I had her in 2001, she was a lot older by then, but that definitely looks like her! She was very intimidating but I learned a lot from her.
I went there until ‘85. Good memories!
New home, 5 Vincent rd which backed up to the snow flake school. Favorite pass time…running in the trenches that were made for the new school and when the pipes were placed, we had a new “playard “. All the neighborhood children had so much fun playing games on the pipes. It even beat hide n seek! I have so many fond memories of the snow flake school.
Went there in the late 80’s early 90’s. We were the last class for Dr. Lombard. Had Mrs. Binall in First Grade. My brother lived down the street from Mrs. McQuinn who passed away recently.
Miss Burchill, Mrs. Riley, Miss Rafuse, Mrs. Tranfaglia. Dr. Lombard, Mrs. Malcomson (Lombard’s secretary). I was at Fox Hill from 1967-1971. Had Mrs. Katz at Pine Glen.
Mrs. Tranfaglia was the best!
Photo IDs from a former Fox Hill teacher:
#2/16 Teachers Mary Burchill and Judith Riley
#3/16. Teacher on right is Geraldine Dow Smith.
Such fond memories of my three children going to the Fox Hill School. Thanks for all the great information, especially the video.
The sitting teacher in picture 2 is Miss Manning, my first grade teacher.
I attended Fox Hill School from 1970-1974. The principal was Dr. Gloria Lombard, of course. I had Mrs. Winslow in 1st grade, Ms. Manning in 2nd grade, Ms. Lyons in 3rd grade & Ms. Campaigna (SP?) in 4th grade. I am obsessed with its design, but not for its yellow addition. It’ll be a shame if they tear it down. Is that new picture of the much larger school going to replace it???
Yes, the larger school is what’s coming.
The guy in the white coat inside the speed bump photo is Selectman Tom Flaherty. To his right is Selectman Angie Murgo. To Angie’s right is Selectman Howie Strachan.
Was there when it opened in 67. Speaking of Miss Burchill ( lol, not Ms. Back then), Gloria Steinem changed that in early 70s. Miss Burchill was close to a small group of us in 5th grade and took us to the opening of the Burlington Mall in 1970. John
There are things you remember in life, and things that people won’t let you forgot. Over the last 50 years I have heard repeatedly that in 1974, Burlington Public Schools started a half-day Kindergarten program – with a morning session and an afternoon session – apparently to the delight of many mothers. So as the youngest of four, I was the only one in my family to go to public Kindergarten at Fox Hill School. I don’t remember it, but I have been told ….. repeatedly.
Loved seeing that video. Brought back childhood memories.😁Everything seemed so much bigger then. Dodgeball in the gym and remember my Grandmother being the secretary while I was there.
Will the location of the new construction involve the removal of the old mysterious car wreck located down the path at the corner of Westwood and the school’s parking lot?