Thomas Baccaro (left), Bondy’s first principal, and Daniel Connolly, principal, share some of their fondest memories with former students, faculty and staff during Bondy Intermediate’s 20th reunion.
Jan Drawe, a former teacher at Bondy, was one of the honored guests during the school’s 20th anniversary.
It’s been 20 years since Bondy Intermediate first opened its doors in 1993, yet Bondy graduates, administrators, faculty and staff remember that day like it was yesterday.
“It’s very hard to realize that it’s been 20 years,” Thomas Baccaro, Bondy’s first principal said. “I remember having a little corner office and picking out furniture. When we opened the doors and all the new students came pouring in, I tell you, I’m not sure how to describe that feeling – but it was wonderful.”
Over 100 administrators, faculty, staff and students took a trip down memory lane during Elmer G. Bondy Intermediate’s 20th reunion Thursday afternoon.
The festivities began with an escorted tour around the school, provided by Bondy cheerleaders. Attendees stopped by one of the classrooms which displayed memorabilia from 1993, including one of the first cheerleading uniforms, yearbooks from 1993-2012, photos of Mr. Baccaro posing with students and administrators, and group photos of Bondy’s cheerleading squads.
After the tour, the Bondy Intermediate family caught up on good times as they snacked on light refreshments and shared some of their fondest memories.
Principal Dan Connoly recalled his experience as an assistant principal while Baccaro, formerly known as “Mr. B” was the principal.
He explained that one day a student was clad in pajamas – extremely out of dress code. Connolly wanted Baccaro to see how the student was dressed so he took the student to the principal’s office. Bacarro angrily told the student that he was dressed inappropriately, and the student said, “Chill out, principal dude.”
“That student made me so mad,” Baccaro said.
Connolly had a lot of memories to share but one memory stood out the most.
“I’ve been called a lot of things in my life but the best thing I’ve been called is a principal at Bondy.”
Baccaro told a story about the day it snowed in Pasadena.
He knew most of the students had not seen snow before, so he decided to have a fire drill so they could go outside and see the snow fall. He said he was scared to do it because he thought parents would call – angry that their children went outside without their jackets. Although, this was not the case.
“I got phone calls about how happy parents were that I did it,” Baccaro said.
Several administrators and staff have stayed with Bondy, home of the Patriots, since ‘93. Jan Drawe, for instance, was an 8th grade teacher at Bondy and continues to stay patriotic towards her school.
“I loved Mr. Baccarro,” she said. “He wanted us to be proud of his school. And we wanted to make him proud. And that’s what made us such a great school because we came in here as a family.”
Assistant Principal Tanis McNell-Griffin graduated from Bondy in ’96. She said it felt like family then, and it still feels like family now.
“That’s why I wanted to come back and teach here,” McNell-Griffin said. “I got to teach some kids who are now teaching here, so it confirmed what I always knew, which was that they were the good people that I knew they were as a kid and as an adult.”
The founding Bondy Intermediate family stopped by the school during the reunion to pay tribute to Elmer G. Bondy, who passed away recently . Pictured here (from left): Gary Ames, Geneva Ames, Charles, Robbie and Brenda Bondy, James and Paula Johnson, and Cody and Russell Bondy.
Cathy Connolly, Marales Elementary principal, and Troy McCarley, Pasadena ISD associate superintendent were in attendance at Bondy’s reunion.