Melrose High School - Log Yearbook (Melrose, MA)

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With the construction of the new high school, things were “ looking up . What’s A Fancy Name For A Library? A Resource Center, or “Source” for short. Looking at shelves of books one saw a typical school library. But our “Source” was much more! Rows of individual carrels dotted the area like a honeycomb. Clusters of the beloved “comfortable chairs” provided restful moments for the weary student. The A.V. center offered a variety of multi- media equipment to supplement class- room learning. Students in study hall traipsed to the Resource Center to study or to thumb through magazines. Procedures for this expedition justified the making of 1,600 Student I.D.’s. Some students learned about the opera- tion of a library by serving as student guides. Many English classes discover- ed the invaluable Reader’s Guides during research periods in the R.C. This multi-sectioned, high-ceilinged facility, presided over by the huge wall-clock, was an intriguing highlight of the school. What Do You Do When You Run Out Of Walls? Well, we built open classrooms. At first no one could believe they had a class in room “two-thousand-three-hun- dred and thirty-four.” We soon discov- ered that this was translated as 233-4 or section four of the second floor open classroom. Housing 300 students during homeroom and 150 during regular class periods, the two open classrooms were intended as adventures in contempora- ry education. The third floor open class- room was reminiscent of a UN session, where four different languages could often be heard at once. Sitting in the back of Math SAT Review in the second floor open classroom, one could pick up hints on the lecture being given next period in Psychology. Actually, the open classrooms were a workable change of pace. Who needs walls anyway? -48 Martha Robichaucl makes good use of the Resource Center. Daniel Falkenstein Mitchell Fava Occupational Ed. Mathematics J erome F ord F reeman F rank Mathematics Social Studies Anita Galante Frances Galligan Foreign Language Foreign Language 15

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The Architectural Riddle Our school was abounding in new, innovative approaches to school design. This modern structure, where we spent three important and exciting years, was quite a change from the Junior High. No longer did we eat in a cafeteria, gather in an auditorium, study in a library, or have Algebra in a 12’ x 15’ classrrom. Oh no, we dined and assem- bled in a “cafetorium,” researched in a “Resource Center,’’ and shared Algebra with World Cultures in an “open classroom.” What Do You Get When You Cross A Cafeteria With An Auditorium? A cafetorium, of course! It’s that all- purpose, maximum capacity, ultra-mod- ern facility where we had everything: guest speakers, Lasagna Dinners, ping- pong tournaments, study halls, Drivers’ Ed, Christmas parties, and Class Day. It was really the heart of the school, with an elegance all its own. Yet, with decorative “Get Psyched” signs, the aroma of bacon burgers, the stairs for unwary lunchers to tumble down, 490 chairs for 530 students, and the lunch- time bustle, it could really achieve an endearing “lived-in” look! Architectural reflection - an unusual perspective of the Resource Center. Anne Donahue Helen Donovan Foreign Language Social Studies John Driscoll Susan Eason Social Studies Science 14

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Mondaze Maybe if I close my eyes it will go away. ' Joe Russo and Peter Ryan can ' t take another Monday. “ Test first period- 1 forgot to study!” The very thought is unbearable for Frank Corvino. Only the passing bell could wake Kori Scarborough up. Monday mornings were like a sen- tence in Siberia. As we trudged along slowly and semiconsciously, every step became a battle against inertia. Our surroundings looked bleak; our eyes struggled to focus. Endless corridors and classrooms with stark white walls failed to stimulate the mind and evoked visions of the lifeless Siberian land- scape. The lingering coldness before the heat was turned on again and the numbness of the body and mind placed students and faculty in a frozen state. Assorted groans, including excuses and threats about not doing weekend home- work, whirled around like storms on the tundra. Empty stomachs missed the constant weekend munchies. The min- utes dragged by like an eternity. Slowly the numbness wore off; stu- dents readjusted to the school routine. By lunchtime, signs of life appeared. Students chattered in the halls, ran from class to class, and even remember- ed to grab the right book out of their lockers. The school population snapped out of its frozen dreamland, and by Tuesday morning was thawed enought to survive four weekdays, a full week- end, and the inevitable Monday morn- ing to come. I told you my car turns into a pumpkin at 4:00” M. Shaw, R. Schmidt and B. Savary catch up on lost sleep in homeroom. Oh no, late again!” Stephen Gordon Guidance Robert Grant Mathematics AM W David Gavin Mathematics Michael Glynn Language Arts Thomas Ganley Debra Lee Garren Mathematics Language Arts 16