ERWIN STREET SCHOOL CELEBRATES; 50TH BIRTHDAY FETE BRINGS BACK ALUMNI FRIENDS, MEMORIES.

Byline: Jesse Hiestand Staff Writer

Celebrating the 50th birthday of Erwin Street Elementary School, Scott Mitchell and his childhood chum Jack Lenack strolled onto the playground Saturday with a gleam in their eyes.

Thirty-one years had passed since they last stepped on campus but the memories of grammar and math, field trips and scraped knees remained fresh in their minds.

``These were the happiest days of my life,'' said Mitchell, 43, a marketing professional from Sherman Oaks whose friendship with Lenack started in kindergarten. ``Kickball, that was it for me. P.E. and recess.''

Lenack, also 43, reflected on his years here while surveying the crowd of some 500 past and present students, teachers, principals and staff who gathered trade stories, rekindle friendships and catch up on gossip.

``The school looks exactly as it did when I was here - with some additions,'' said Lenack, an attorney from Sherman Oaks.

Indeed, the school, a landmark in this neighborhood, has undergone many changes in five decades.

The student population (now 1,050) has grown in size and ethnicity. Bungalows and murals have gone up, classrooms are now air conditioned and teachers get messages to the front office through an intercom, rather than a student dispatched with a hall pass.

Some of the changes, while necessary, are not entirely welcome.

``When I came here the campus was open,'' said Tobi Rosen, 59, who has taught kindergarten for 30 years. ``Now we have to have a closed campus. People have to wear badges and check in at the office. We have to be secure.''

Teachers and staff take pride in those alumni who end up sending their children to Erwin Street as well.

``We stayed in the neighborhood just because we like the school,'' said Valerie Sokol, 34, a graduate of the Class of '76 who has two children in the school and one who recently graduated.

Erwin Street's birthday was marked with a pancake breakfast, dance contest, silent auction an introduction of alumni.

The school counts a few celebrities among the alumni, including ``Three's Company'' star John Ritter and Cindy Williams of ``Laverne & Shirley.''

Mitch Gaylord, Class of '84, went on to win a gold, silver and two bronze medals in gymnastics in the 1984 Olympics.

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Laura Chick was a teacher's assistant, administrators said.

The strength of the bonds fostered in these classrooms and halls was reflected Saturday in the camaraderie between teachers and their former students.

``Your first-grade teacher is your first-grade teacher your whole life,'' said Jill Fager, who was principal from 1980 to 1987. ``They will still give you a hug if you come back.

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2 photos

Photo: (1) Members of the Erwin Street School drill team perform at the school's 50th anniversary celebration.

(2) Erwin Street Elementary students, family members and well-wishers crowd in for a view of the festivities Saturday at the Van Nuys campus.

Phil McCarten/Staff Photographer