Ballard's West Woodland Elementary capped its centennial year with an all-school assembly and reception for past faculty and alumni.

While current students finished their classes, former West Woodland students snacked in the cafeteria and shared memories from their time at the school.

Margaret Melver Dakan graduated from the school in 1935. She said she loves coming back to her old school and likes the new library full of natural light. (She also expressed a deep appreciation for the buffet after a lunch-less afternoon.)

Dakan said she was impressed with how well-behaved the students were during the assembly, though she admitted her class may have have been even better behaved.

"We were always scared spitless," she said.

Student behavior wasn't the only thing that had changed at the school in the past century.

In the library, there was a makeshift museum of artifacts from West Woodland's history – a record player, an old-fashioned compass and protractor, a disciplinary paddle – that may have puzzled current students. Two students took turns trying out a typewriter by typing their names.

Bob Hansen, class of 1935, showed off a photo he had saved of his West Woodland soccer team, which held opponents scoreless for an entire season. Many of his teammates were lost in World War II, he said.

Emma Nilsen Vatn, 94. graduated from West Woodland in 1928 and was the oldest alumni in attendance.

She said she thinks it's neat that the school has been able to keep itself together for 100 years. West Woodland has great support within the community, she said.

West Woodland students, young and old alike, seemed pleased to see the school reach the century mark.

"We think it's great," said alumnus Bebe Willman Dyer. "Why wouldn't we? We're almost 100 ourselves."

West Woodland Elementary, located at 5601 Fourth Ave. N.W., will be publishing a centennial anthology in the near future. It will include pieces written by current students from interviews they conducted with alumni and past faculty.