Ivywild Elementary School’s open house on Friday evening felt like a family reunion.

Several families had two and three generations who attended the school, and for others, the ties were just as strong.

Friendships were rekindled while former students and teachers shared memories.

“I loved the school. It had a family feeling. The staff knew all the kids,” said Pat Plymell, 74, who taught at Ivywild from 1980 until 1993.

Ivywild is the last of 10 District 11 schools to close. In February, the board voted to shut down or repurpose the buildings because of declining enrollment.

In the 1980s, Ivywild’s enrollment peaked at nearly 400 students. This year, it dropped to 145, said community liaison officer Marilyn Eggleston.

Ivywild’s closure marks 25 years of Eggleston’s career with District 11.

For her, it’s a family affair.

Her two children attended Ivywild. A daughter, Cherie Lane, 36, returned as a teacher.

Now Lane’s two children are students.

Ivywild is one of Colorado Springs’ oldest schools, Eggleston said.

It was founded in 1901 and moved into its present building in 1916, a time when horse-drawn carts were a common sight on city streets.

Scrapbooks filled with photos and student-crafted quilts were a few of the mementos that touched on Ivywild’s history.

Skyla (Thompson) McGee, 29, found her sixth-grade picture and showed it to her daughter, Alexandra, a current fifth-grade student.

Friday’s festivities included dinner – pizza, veggies and cake – and a rummage sale.

Proceeds will be used to treat the students to a skate party on the last day of school.

Retired librarian Joanie Norris, 78, met her husband of 27 years at Ivywild. Al Norris, 80, was a custodian.

Joanie Norris reminisced with Lane, who had been a student of hers and has gone on to teach in the position Norris held.

The Norrises’ Ivywild days provided the couple with several “lifelong friends.”

“We have so many happy memories. You can’t take that away,” Joanie Norris said.

A marmot suns itself near the summit of Pikes Peak Friday. Photo by KEVIN KRECK, THE GAZETTE