Birch Run High School - Panther Tales Yearbook (Birch Run, MI)

Page 11 text:

OF GENERAL INTEREST THE FIRST UNIT OF THE PRESENT SCHOOL PLANT WAS THE TWO STORY SECTION. IT WAS A W.P,A PROJECT DEDICATED IN 1939. IT HOUSES AN EXCELLENT COMBINATION GYMNASIUM AND AUDITOR- IUM, BOILER ROOM, GRADE ROOMS AND TOILETS. WHEN THIS BUILD- ING WAS ERECTED THE OLD HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING STOOD SOUTH- EAST OF IT AND WAS CONNECTED BY A CORRIDOR. DURING THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS OF 1941, FIRE COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE OLD BUILDING AND FORCED MANY MAKE-SHIFT ARRANGEMENTS, CLASSES WERE HELD ON THE STAGE, BLEACHERS AND LOCKER ROOMS OF THE GYM, WAR PRIORITIES WERE IN EFFECT AND IT WAS NOT UNTIL 1943 THAT THE ONE STORY ADDITION WAS COM- PLETED. BUILT UNDER WAR CONDITIONS, ONLY THE MINIMUM NEEDS OF THE SCHOOL WERE ALLOWED, THIS BUILDING WAS FINANCEO BY INSURANCE RECEIVED THROUGH THE LOSS OF THE OLD BUILDING. IT CONTAINS CLASS ROOMS, STUDY HALL, LABORATORY AND AN OFFICE, ONE ADDITIONAL ROOM (NOT SHOWN) WAS ERECTED WEST OF THE BOILER ROOM IN 1949. THIS ROOM WAS INTENDED FOR USE AS A GENERAL SHOP BUT INCREASED GRADE ENROLLMENT MAOE IT NECESSARY TO USE IT AS AN EIGHTH GRADE ROOM. THE BOARD OF EDUCATION HAS HAD ARCHITECTS' SKETCHES DRAWN FOR ANOTHER ADDITION INTENDED TO ROUND OUT THE CURRI- CULUM OF THE SCHOOL. INCLUDED IN THE NEW PLANS ARE PROVIS- IONS FOR HOMEMAKING, SHOP, AGRICULTURE, CLINIC, CAFETERIA, COMMERCE AND OFFICES. THE EVOLUTION OF THE BIRCH RUN SCHOOL IS INTERESTING. STARTING AS A ONE-ROOM SCHOOL IN A PRIMARY DISTRICT, OFFER- ING EIGHT GRADES, IT SOON WAS NECESSARY TO ADD ANOTHER ROOM AND THEN LIKE TOPSY IT JUST GROWED. THE ORIGINAL BUILDING RECEIVED SMALL ADDITIONS AND THEN A SECOND STORY WAS ADDED TO KEEP PACE WITH THE INCREASING SCHOOL POPULATION. THE FINAL CHANGE WAS A COOPERATIVE VENTURE IN EXCAVATING A BASEMENT TO PROVIDE MORE FACILITIES. HIGH SCHOOL BOYS AS- SISTED WITH THIS. IN SPITE OF EXPANSION OF THE OLD STRUCTURE, THE NEED FOR MORE ROOM MADE IT NECESSARY IN 1934 TO RENT THE SACRED HEART SCHOOL WHICH WAS NOT THEN OPERATING. GRADES ONE THROUGH SIX WERE HOUSED THERE UNTIL THE COMPLETION OF THE NEW SCHOOL IN 1939.

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CONTINUED THE PRIMARY ORGANIZATION WAS CHANGED TO THE PRESENT GRADED DISTRICT WITH A FIVE MEMBER BOARO. THE FIRST CLASS WAS GRADUATED FROM THE TWELFTH GRADE IN 1924 AND INCLUDED: EUNICE LIK AM ; BELVA FISHER; GWENOLA HICKS; MORRIS HELFRICH; HAROLD LANGE; MARIA DEAN; AND HULDAH SPENCER. THE CLASS OF 1951 HAS 31 MEMBERS AND IS THE LARGEST IN THE HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL. THE CLASS OF 1931 WAS THE SMALLEST AND NUMBER- ED ONLY FOUR MEMBERS. THEY WERE: LEONA MAE CURTIS; A ILEEN HAOSALL; ZOLA HOYT; AND MARGARET ROTTIERS. IN 1931 ONLY 54 PUPILS WERE ENROLLED IN HIGH SCHOOL. SUPERINTENDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH THE ADMIN- ISTRATION OF THE SCHOOL SINCE THE CREATION OF THE TWELVE YEAR CURRICULUM INCLUDE: WILLIAM MCGINN; MAX HEGLER; G. HACKNEY; GROVER TORREY; G. RAY STURGIS; RUSSEL ASHWORTH AND HARRY LAYMAN. THE EXISTING PLANT HAS BEEN CONSTRUCTED SINCE MR, LAYMAN ACCEPTED THE SUPER INTENDENCY IN 1935. MARSHALL GREENE HAS 8EEN A MEMBER OF THE FACULTY SINCE 1936 AND THE EFFICIENT PRINCIPAL SINCE 1942, THE HIGH SCHOOL HAS BEEN ACCREDITED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN FOR MANY YEARS AND HAS RECENTLY HAD ITS ACCRE- DITATION EXTENDED UNTIL JUNE 30, 1952. IN 1948 TWO SCHOOL BUSES WERE PUT INTO OPERATION TO SERVE THE RURAL PUPILS ATTENDING HIGH SCHOOL. A THIRD BUS WAS PUT INTO OPERATION THIS YEAR AND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION HAS ORDERED ANOTHER ONE FOR USE NEXT FALL. AT THE PRESENT TIME, PUPILS FROM 13 RURAL DISTRICTS ARE BEING TRANSPORTED TO BIRCH RUN HIGH SCHOOL. THE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC TEAMS COMPETE IN CLASS C WHICH INCLUDES SCHOOLS HAVING ENROLLMENTS ABOVE 150 IN THE UPPER FOUR GRADES, WITH THE AREA INCREASING IN POPULATION IT APPEARS THAT THE SCHOOLS OF THE COMMUNITY WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE GROWING PAINS . THE SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY ARE PROUD OF THE QUALITY OF ITS GRADUATES. THEY HAVE A FINE RECORD OF ACHIEVEMENT IN COMMERCE, COLLEGE, INDUSTRY AND GOOD CITIZENSHIP.