Midlakes High School - Reflections Yearbook (Clifton Springs, NY)

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Jim Cheney. Editor — Reflections '81 Very often an editor's page or comments are never read. Many people think it is just the editor's way of saying thanks to his or her staff. Fitting right in with this year's book, this page is also different. It is a thank-you note. However, it is also an explanation. This yearbook has two themes based on one. A complicated statement? True! What is meant, is that the basic theme of this book is the ten year anniversary of Midlakes High School. The theme built on top of that is Still the One. After ten years of existence. Midlakes is Still the One. You will notice that some things seem strange in this yearbook. Why, for example, is a picture of the cornerstone on the cover page? Or why is there a superintendent's page, including the former superintendent? The biggest question of why are all those old pictures in the book, is answered the way the rest are. It all fits in with the tenth anniversary. The old pictures mentioned are found in both the faculty section and the senior section. These pictures are of ten years ago. The faculty pictures are of those teachers who were part of this district ten years ago. The senior pictures are of students who were in either Phelps or Clifton Springs Elementary Schools in second grade. The yearbook staff is sorry that a picture of everyone could not be included. However, this would be impossible as some people simply weren't here ten years ago. We do not mean to single these people out. We hope you understand. Now come the thank you's that must be said because not enough can be done to thank the staff that helped me so much in this past year. When 1 accepted the position of editor last year at this time, I didn't really know what to expect. Well, there was more to it than I dreamed. I don't claim to be perfect, so there may be mistakes. I am sorry if there are. We did our best to eliminate any mistakes. Everyone on the staff must be thanked. Without them you would not be reading this today. So, thank you everyone. If I tried to name everyone, I would forget someone and then be criticized. So all I can say is you know who you are. The people who worked really closely with me know I'm talking to you now when I say THANK YOU! Hope you enjoy the book! 2

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Midlakes Reflections 1981 Midlakes High School Phelps-Clifton Springs Central School District

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A Tradition Is Born ByJohn D.Fahy Well over a decade ago, nearly a decade and a half, really, the citizens of two mid-small size school districts exercised their right of franchise and thus chose to become one mid-large school district. For most people, the choice was not an easy one. and feelings ran strong and deep on both sides of the merger question. It's not easy to give up the known for the unknown, the intimacy of the neighborhood schoolhouse for the formality of the comprehensive concrete, the traditional for the untried. And yet, that's just what the residents of Phelps and Clifton Springs and the surrounding towns and hamlets opted to do. That is, the majority opted to take this uncharted course. Many solid, sincere citizens opposed this proce- dure in all good conscience. At any rate, we took the plunge. Dedicated people worked untold long and hard hours to take the best elements of both former districts and weld them into a new and better educational unit. More important, the new district took all of the students from the old' districts, built for them a broader educational opportunity, and housed the high school students in a new building called Mid- lakes, one of the finest structures in the state. Change does, indeed, come slowly — and that's probably a good thing. Tradition, by its nature, comes even more slowly. The students accepted the Midlakes concept — first, the high school, then the middle school. Some have known little or nothing else. There's no question but what we have lost something in this process of consolidation — we have all lost a little bit of our identity. But our students continue to grow with the Midlakes concept, so we continue to grow with it, also. It appears that we are well on our way toward achieving the excellence in education that may soon become known as the Midlakes tradition. This Yearbook, as edited by the Class of '81, coincides with the completion of my sixth year in this district. This class also includes the fourth of my children to have graduated from Midlakes — each of them has benefited from a dedicated staff and a community committed to improving its educational program offerings for its youth. My impressions now are similar to those I had when selected for my present position in 1975.1 knew we were coming to a school district that had proven its dedication to its youth by voting to merge into one district in 1967; by voting to build a new 4.8 million dollar super high school, and build it right, for opening in 1971; and by authorizing another 2.25 million dollars for renovating the four remaining buildings in the two communities. How many other districts have done so much for their youth in so short a period of time-’ Most of the above was accomplished by those who preceded me. My responsibilities in the last six years, in addition to those normal central office duties, have been to provide the necessary climate, resources, and wherewithal to improve what was going on inside those five buildings — the learning process. The Boards of Education I have served under have all been committed to this task and progress, gradual, planned and beneficial, is there for all to see. The placement of the Central Office in the Midlakes building has also had its rewards. That decision has given all of us who work there a daily opportunity to intermingle with the students at Midlakes and observe their progress from entering freshmen ’til where you, the Class of '81 find yourselves now awaiting graduation. You people, the Class of '81, and those who have preceded you are exactly why our total’ staff of 250 find so much joy from our daily work. You have done well, you know that. More, you have continued and added to the fine traditions of the Midlakes graduates and the responsibilities that go with that distinction. May you know success and happiness in your individual futures to an even greater degree than you have brought those same two qualities to those of us whose assignment it is to assist you on your way. 3 Richard F. Heller