Nevada High School - Nevamo Yearbook (Nevada, MO)

Page 13 text:

Successful negotiations were carried out for securing the new Pine Street Church Annex to house the Senior High School studentsg Longstreth's Market resounded with noises quite un- usual to a normal store as eager Freshmen returned to their booksg the Nevada Motor Company building and the former Safe- way Store building took on their new roles as Junior High Schools without complaint. Ringing the old-fashioned bell became quite an honor for seventh and eighth graders as the Strange became ordinary, and the unusual became common. Bleak partitioned walls soon were covered with Santa and the reindeer. Windows were plastered with miniature blizzards, and the Wise Men traveled to Bethlehem in many rooms. According to tradition, the Senior Christmas tree was decorated and erected. Although it was probably the smallest one in the long line of Senior trees, and Bryan auditorium seemed different from the time-honored spot under the clock on the second floor of N .H.S. , Seniors felt that traditions must be kept as usual.

Page 12 text:

OUR NIGHT T0 REMEMBER . . . Shortly before 11:00 on that memorable night, Mrs. Leon Allen, who lives in the first house south of the high school, was awakened by the cracking of windows . See- ing flames shooting from the building, she called her husband who ran to the home of Roy Wert to summon the fire department. Spreading rapidly from the lowest floor, the fire of undetermined origin gained head- way through the air ducts, and enveloped the central section. After the flames shot up through the ducts, there was no hope of extinguishing the fire which spread relent- lessly to both the senior high wing on the east and the Gyrmiasium-auditorium section on the west. Fire departments from Ft. Scott and Butler soon arrived in Nevada. The fire department from the State Hospital and a unit of men from the National Guard also assisted local firemen. As news of the fire was relayed, many Nevadans hurried to the scene. They stood helplessly and almost silently by as they watched the roaring flames completely consume a building filled with thousands of memories . As people watched the tragic occur- rence, they were grateful for the fact that the disaster did not happen while school was in session. Had the fire be- gun ten hours later, 864 students would have been attending a scheduled assem- bly in the auditorium. Citizens found some comfort in the fact that things could have been much worse, and view- ing the shell of the structure the next morning, they realized that dismal scenes like these were commonplace in countries ravaged by wars and struggles for freedom. Ya Even as fire flickered in various parts of the building, the long process of reor- ganization was begun by the school board members as they met in the first of a long series of board meetings. Even as the charred-walls of N .H. S. were being battered to the ground, plans were being made for the future. Slowly a semblance of order emerged. Fortunately, important records were protected by the fireproof vaults . Once more the countless files and schedules were filled out, grades recorded, books, desks, and other essential supplies were ordered and received.

Page 14 text:

BIG WHEELS STUDY PLANS WHILE PM .,VL.S, ,un,r,.,, vS.S HA MEN WITH A PLAN--Members of the School Board register approval as they study the preliminary plans of the proposed new Junior-Senior High School building. Seated are School Board members George Lo- gan, Hubert Fowler, Secretaryg O. M. Flory, Presidentg and Dr. Roy Pearse, Vice-President. Standing are Dwight Brown, Dean Lintecum, architectsg C. H. Jones, Ir. , Superintendent of Schoolsg and Dr. Standlee Love, member of the School Board. The task of operating the schools of the R-5 District is a big one, but the problems of 1956-57 have been multiplied enormously The Nevada Junior-Senior High School was destroyed by fire the night of November 29. By noon of November 30 a School Board com- mittee was negotiating for emergency quar- ters. Various board committees were at work daily on some phase of the emergency, and within the next five weeks, the School Board met fourteen times . The first students to return to school, the eighth graders, were at their desks within seven days . By january 2 all Junior-Senior high school students were attending their classes again. Superintendent Jones and the members of the Board kept the public well-informed, stres sing the fact that the new building would det- ermine the character of education for the next century. The community is indeed fortunate to have these administrators and School Board mem- bers to direct the educational activities of this area. Shown below are Superintendent Jones and School Board member Lynn Ewing in the superintendent's temporary office at Bryan Grade School. 1 I K W-as PM as A as is H! S I !