This school used to be called Colma Middle School (my first year there), until the principal…read moreretired, and then, it was renamed after him. I went to this school (6th grade to 8th grade- 1987 was my graduating year, so yes, it's been quite a while) and so did my younger sister.
Middle school is rough, though. This could be the most awkward stage/school during those teenage years (raging hormones, girls have their periods, so they are boy crazy, really caring about your hair looked, peer pressure, the wanting/needing to belong, etc.). Add bullies to the mix, and you get the picture. (I didn't do anything to anyone, but I had haters, which I handled on my own. In life, you just have to face them head on, and then, that's when one gets a tougher skin and it ended up being the source of my strength, because I ended up standing up for myself. It just happened earlier than I expected. Bullies come in all forms today- trolls on the internet, co-workers, etc. The issue of bullies needs attention. I think that all the adults should step in and help all those victimized by bullies.)
As for Academics, I rather enjoyed my time here. I had good teachers (Mr. Robinson, Mr. Tooth, Ms. Orri (PE) to name a few) for the most part. I participated in the assemblies, fundraisers, had good grades (Honor Roll), and I also had a good amount of friends. I thought that the curriculum was challenging enough to foster the curiosity and learning new things was exciting. But I have always been a lover of research. Remember when we had to look it up at the library or go to the encyclopedia collection?
I loved the grounds of the school (there was a field which was higher than the school). It's pretty big. I also went to Fernando Rivera one summer for Summer School (I elected to go because I didn't want to be bored), which was smaller, I thought. Maybe the paint colors could have been more exciting, but that is a budget call.
Just to give you an idea how it was in the 80s. The fashion prints were geometrics (also popular in Trapper Keepers), the pastel colors were popular too, but neon colors were also popular too, the style of jeans were skinny jeans, lace was a popular fabric because of Madonna, fitted pencil skirts, crimped hair, lightened hair, tall hair requiring lots of Aqua Net hairspray and huge hoop earrings. The department stores of the time were Macy's, Montgomery Ward, Mervyn's, Emporium Capwell, Sear's, and JCPenney. Many of those stores were at Serramonte.
This school was quite a ways from my house in Daly City, so I took a bus everyday. I would walk part of the way, most days, too.
While I enjoyed my time here minus the bullies, I opted to attend Oceana High School in Pacifica instead of Jefferson High in Daly City, where my brother and cousins attended.