Melrose High School - Log Yearbook (Melrose, MA)

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“ What do you know that I don ' t! Students strain to concentrate in the open classroom. Blue, green, red, yellow, and of course, purple- our school was a rainbow of colors. Vivid purple doors were a conversation piece. A dazzling parade of lockers- blue, yellow, purple and that sickening gold- marched along the walls. Bold geometric lines and designs wound around the building- we rivaled the Museum of Fine Arts! The open classrooms were an interior decorator’s dream come true. The sec- ond floor was decked out with blue curtains, chairs and carpeting. Its third floor counterpart was a green version. Naturally, to the dismay of artistic eyes, blue chairs landed in the green room, while green chairs landed in the blue room. And where did those gold chairs fit in, anyway? There’s more! Designer original bulle- tin boards, bright blue gym floors, orange curtains in the teacher’s room, patriotic op-art in the lobbies- all a part of our kaleidoscopic world. Not to mention the famous Resource Center Clock, a timeley piece, splash of blue and yellow, that watched over us. Truly, our school colors were red and white- and blue and green and yellow and purple September 15, 1975. The alarm rings at 6:30. Throughout the city, 568 sophomores are getting jolted out of bed for the first day of school in the new building. So long, to the days of double sessions! As Junior High students, we lolled luxuriously in bed until 9:30 A.M. and arrived at school at the reasonable hour of 12 noon. Now we must be settled in homeroom by the 8:10 warning bell. What a change! However, it was certainly worth it. With a normal schedule, we could accomodate more studies and electives. We were given a six day cycle to make programming run more smoothly. De- spite early panic that this meant going to school on Saturdays, we soon adjust- ed to the new routine. A normal 2:30 dismissal allowed students to participate in a wide selec- tion of activities, to receive extra help after school, or to get a job. Our 12-5 racket was phased out, replaced by the 8-2:30 routine! Dorothy Bloom Peter Brown Occupational Ed. Social Studies Paul Bean Marilyn Blanchard Asst. Dir. Phys. Ed. Occupational Ed. Richard Brown Philip Burr Social Studies Social Studies 11

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Our School “Wow! Hey not bad! Yeah. I kinda like it. But purple doors? These were the typical remarks over- heard when we first entered the new- building. We were sophomores. Be- wildered. Intimidated. Overwhelmed. We were dazzled- by fresh white paint, vibrant colors, and an enormous- what did they call it? Resource Center! Then they gave us maps. Clutching them, we navigated the hallways. But, they really didn ' t help. You should have tried to find the gym. Mission Impos- sible! Triangular white rooms with no windows, trapezoid-shaped desks with no graffiti- geometric wonders! Not only did the coridors have brilliant carpets- they had names! Pi Alley, Da Vinci Drive, and Lincoln Lane. We found ourselves in a new world- different and unfamiliar, but with plenty to marvel at! The first hectic year soon faded into a memory... until... September 1977 - For the third time, we, the seniors, passed through the purple doors (purple doors?). Yet, this time, the building was no longer an unfamiliar and overpowering structure. It was a place that had something for all of us, a place where we could feel at home, where we could have the times of our lives- it was OUR SCHOOL! One big happy family ! Mr Frontero enjoys a Thanksgiving dinner prepared by cooking students. Carol Aliment! Angela Allen Mathematics Foreign Language Richard Allen Ruthanne Arbeit Social Studies Art “I must be going the right way!” Donna Bonaiuto navigates through the hallway. Last minute repair. Joe DeCroteau stitches up his jacket. Francis Ball Donald Barnes Physical Education Occupational Ed. 10

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Hangouts Each one of us staked a claim to a favorite spot ' - in the school, a place where we felt most comfortable. It might have been a haven, hide- away or a place we shared with friends. Before school, between classes, and during lunch, people scattered into their favorite spots to relax, collect their thoughts, share some gossip and catch up on last-minute studying. These places of refuge were in all parts of the school. Lounging on cushions in one of the lobbies, sitting on a wall in one of the smoking areas, standing around a bubbler, reclining in the Resource Center ' s comfortable chairs, huddling around a certain table in the Cafe- we each found a place to feel at home! All the news you can use circulates around the smoking area - a favorite spot. a » Watching the world go by - Joe D ' Agostino. Ed Kodzis and Scott Lloyd relax after lunch. Girl talk in the “ Source ” being shared by D. McLaughlin, L. Bellandi, K. Trueman, A. McLean, andJ. Burgio. Catherine Carrabis Occupational Fid. P ' rank Champi Language Arts Josephine Chase Physical Piducation Francis Connolly Social Studies William Cooper Language Arts Harold Crane Language Arts 12