My high school was built in 1958 as a temporary school while they were building a large high school nearby. However, as the baby boomers reached high school age, the demand kept the temporary school alive - for 45 years! I absolutely loved my high school years and our little school. It was a temporary, one-story building with classroom around a courtyard-style open space. It was freezing cold in the winters but a great place to learn, make friends, and do theatre. We had a strong theatre tradition and the 100% student run theatre put on a play every year. I participated in a play by Berthold Brecht, one by Ludvig Holberg, and "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller. Such great years!
A new school was built by 2004 and my sister attended her last year of high school in the new one. She is happy she got to experience the old school, too. Our school was always known for being a friendly, slightly hippie school with great teamwork between teachers and students.
This is the old school - now it is completely flattened and is being used as a parking lot:
This is the new school - very pretty and fancy but does it have a soul?
Comments (8)
I also wonder about the soulfulness of the new modern buildings.
Your old school had character!
Posted by nancyhol | February 24, 2009 1:11 AM
Posted on February 24, 2009 01:11
Nice story. I think I like the looks of your old school better.
Posted by candi | February 24, 2009 2:01 AM
Posted on February 24, 2009 02:01
You were so fortunate to have loved high school and I think it shows that it is not what the exterior looks like that makes a school experience good or bad. The new bldg. is really beautiful. Hopefully it will provide the total experience for many other students. You were lucky all the same.
Posted by Barb Cabot | February 24, 2009 2:21 AM
Posted on February 24, 2009 02:21
Hi Chiocciola, I enjoyed learning about your fond memories of your high school. It looks like the new school is so much larger than your old school.
Thanks you so much for sharing. Have a great day!
Posted by Kathy (Trekcapri) | February 24, 2009 8:40 AM
Posted on February 24, 2009 08:40
Cool photos!
We didn't have a theatre program but every year, the Senior class put on one play and it was so much fun. We spent months working on it after school. Ours was "Man of La Mancha" (the musical) and everytime I hear "The Impossible Dream" it takes me back to high school.
Posted by Annie | February 24, 2009 9:01 AM
Posted on February 24, 2009 09:01
The new school is very beautifu, but the old school definitely looks like it has a soul! My kids, their teachers and the parents are VERY attached to their VERY old , overcrowded school. It has character! We are petetioning for an annex as no one could bear the thought of leveling the bldg!
Posted by sheri | February 24, 2009 1:56 PM
Posted on February 24, 2009 13:56
Thanks for the comments, glad you liked it! It really was a very special school, with good feelings between students and teachers. We didn't have a principal, but a "leadership team" of administrators, teachers, and one student. Pretty cool.
Kathy, yes the new school has about 550 students while we had 300 or so.
Annie, how cool that you were in a musical!
Posted by Chiocciola | February 24, 2009 10:07 PM
Posted on February 24, 2009 22:07
I really enjoyed this post. I loved reading your narratives about your educational experiences. It saddens me that they leveled the old school even though the new school looks wonderful.
Also, 550 for a high school student population? The students must have a great experience there. My district's high schools (5 of them) all have over a 1000 students in each of them! Easy to "get lost" in a learning environment that big!
Posted by Eden | February 25, 2009 4:36 AM
Posted on February 25, 2009 04:36