Sunset Stories

My mother Jean (Leidig) Draper, her 2 brothers Martin, Ted, and cousins, Dale and Glen Leidig all attended Sunset in the late 1920s. I was born in 1941 in the old Carmel Hospital on Highway 1.

I started kindergarten in 1945 along with classmate Sam Farr, Jamie Holmon, Lucinda Lloyd, Connie Chedester McBride, Wendy Burnham Kuhn, and Jean Elston still living.

One wonderful teacher was Miss Decker. Our reading books were Dick and Jane and Puff and Spot. Music, folk dancing, and the Spring Maypole celebration were introduced.

Fire drills, recess, playing on the jungle gym bars, four square, jump roping, hopscotch fun recess competition.

My grandfather Robert G Leidig, (1st Fire Marshall in Carmel) showed up at our kindergarten class and gave us all a ride around Carmel in the fire truck. A big surprise for me and my classmates.

The annual Nativity play in our beautiful auditorium was also very special and an annual event with parents and grandparents attending.

The first time I heard "O Holy Night" sung beautifully by Irene Fernandez in 7 th grade.

The 6th grade class spent 1 week in magnificent Big Sur – a big treat and adventure. We had social dancing in the gym.

Our graduation party was held in the old cafeteria, now called "Carpenter Hall" used for Carmel library lectures.

In High School, Sunset annually held a fundraiser for the Carmel Youth Center called the "Youth Follies". All of our costumes were loaned to us thanks to the generosity of Bing Crosby.

Those of us who have been fortunate to live here still treasure our early school days at Sunset with wonderful teachers. Art Holman formed a band and many learned to play the clarinet, saxophone, drums many musical instruments.