Golda Meir School
Encyclopedia
The Golda Meir School for gifted and talented students is a Milwaukee Public Schools
district elementary school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
. It was renamed in honor of Golda Meir
, the fourth Prime Minister of Israel
, who attended the institution from 1906 to 1912. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
and designated a National Historic Landmark
.
of the same era, the Fourth Street School was designed in 1889 by noted Milwaukee architect Henry C. Koch
in Romanesque Revival
style. It was completed by 1890 and opened its doors on September 2, 1890.
H-shaped in plan, the school
has four stories (basement included) and contains 16 classrooms along with an auditorium. A single story heating plant was added in 1915, with a fuel room to follow in 1937. Fire escapes and enclosure of the stairways brought the building up to code in 1957. Renovation of the interior and exterior took place in 1976, during which a cafeteria was added.
The facility should not be confused with the neighboring Milwaukee Education Center middle school, currently housed in the Malt House of the rehabilitated Schlitz Complex. Golda Meir has actually added a middle school to their building, which is located on the first floor of the building. There are 90 students in the 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade at this school. Since the school only has room for 30 children in each middle school grade, the teachers select which children move on to Golda Meir middle school. The school is pondering whether they can fit three more middle school classes into the building.
Golda Meir School, as it was renamed on May 4, 1979, is one of the city's original magnet school
s. The Gifted and Talented Program was implemented in the 1970s to further stimulate and develop the abilities of talented pupils. A two block long mural on the playground retaining wall was started in 1979 by students. Titled "Milwaukee Illustrated" it celebrated the city's history until removed in 1998 to make way for a new theme, "Golda's Gallery: The Decades on Display."
In commemoration of the events of September 11, 2001
, a "Labyrinth of Peace" was drawn on to the school playground. The single circuit labyrinth is used as a tool for students to reflect on what peace means to them.
recounts in her book My Life that she "learned a lot more than fractions or how to spell at Fourth Street School..." When she was in fourth grade, Meir undertook her first public works project by organizing a fundraiser to pay for her classmates' textbooks. She rented a hall and scheduled a public meeting for the event.
A plaque mounted outside the front door of the school reads in part "it was here that she learned the values that carried her through life."
On October 3, 1969 Golda Meir revisited the school, accompanied by U.S. Secretary of State
Henry Kissinger
and local Aldermen Vel Phillips
and Orville Pitts. The school has since been named in her honor in 1979.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1984. It was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1990.
Milwaukee Public Schools
Milwaukee Public Schools is the largest school district in Wisconsin. As of 2007, it had an enrollment of 87,360 students, and as of 2006 employed 6,100 full-time and substitute teachers in 223 schools. The Milwaukee Public Schools system is the 33rd largest in the United States by enrollment...
district elementary school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
. It was renamed in honor of Golda Meir
Golda Meir
Golda Meir ; May 3, 1898 – December 8, 1978) was a teacher, kibbutznik and politician who became the fourth Prime Minister of the State of Israel....
, the fourth Prime Minister of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, who attended the institution from 1906 to 1912. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
.
Description
Situated next to the historic Schlitz Brewing ComplexJoseph Schlitz Brewing Company
The Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company was an American brewery based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and was once the largest producer of beer in the world. Its namesake beer, Schlitz, was known as "The beer that made Milwaukee famous" and was famously advertised with the slogan "When you're out of Schlitz,...
of the same era, the Fourth Street School was designed in 1889 by noted Milwaukee architect Henry C. Koch
Henry C. Koch
Henry C. Koch was a German-American architect, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and likely best known for the design of the Milwaukee City Hall, the tallest building in the United States from its completion in 1895 to 1899....
in Romanesque Revival
Romanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
style. It was completed by 1890 and opened its doors on September 2, 1890.
H-shaped in plan, the school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
has four stories (basement included) and contains 16 classrooms along with an auditorium. A single story heating plant was added in 1915, with a fuel room to follow in 1937. Fire escapes and enclosure of the stairways brought the building up to code in 1957. Renovation of the interior and exterior took place in 1976, during which a cafeteria was added.
The facility should not be confused with the neighboring Milwaukee Education Center middle school, currently housed in the Malt House of the rehabilitated Schlitz Complex. Golda Meir has actually added a middle school to their building, which is located on the first floor of the building. There are 90 students in the 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade at this school. Since the school only has room for 30 children in each middle school grade, the teachers select which children move on to Golda Meir middle school. The school is pondering whether they can fit three more middle school classes into the building.
Golda Meir School, as it was renamed on May 4, 1979, is one of the city's original magnet school
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
s. The Gifted and Talented Program was implemented in the 1970s to further stimulate and develop the abilities of talented pupils. A two block long mural on the playground retaining wall was started in 1979 by students. Titled "Milwaukee Illustrated" it celebrated the city's history until removed in 1998 to make way for a new theme, "Golda's Gallery: The Decades on Display."
In commemoration of the events of September 11, 2001
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, a "Labyrinth of Peace" was drawn on to the school playground. The single circuit labyrinth is used as a tool for students to reflect on what peace means to them.
Retrospective
Golda MeirGolda Meir
Golda Meir ; May 3, 1898 – December 8, 1978) was a teacher, kibbutznik and politician who became the fourth Prime Minister of the State of Israel....
recounts in her book My Life that she "learned a lot more than fractions or how to spell at Fourth Street School..." When she was in fourth grade, Meir undertook her first public works project by organizing a fundraiser to pay for her classmates' textbooks. She rented a hall and scheduled a public meeting for the event.
A plaque mounted outside the front door of the school reads in part "it was here that she learned the values that carried her through life."
On October 3, 1969 Golda Meir revisited the school, accompanied by U.S. Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger
Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
and local Aldermen Vel Phillips
Vel Phillips
Velvalea Rodgers "Vel" Phillips is a Wisconsin attorney who served as a local official and judge in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and as Secretary of State of Wisconsin, often as the first woman and/or African-American in her position....
and Orville Pitts. The school has since been named in her honor in 1979.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1984. It was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1990.