I went to this school from 1981-1984. The principle at that time was Terry Wolfenden…read more
It used to be called Dunkirk Junior High School, but they changed the name a few years before I went to emphasize the middle school years were a separate stage of child/student development, worthy of its own name, and not just a high school but "junior".
All in all, I can say that I received a somewhat rigorous education here, with some exceptions. Students of all abilities were grouped into the same class. It didn't compare to more wealthy school districts or to boarding/day schools, but for a small, rural town, it was good. And of couese, it doesn't compare to schooling nowadays, where younger and younger students are taught more advanced concepts. We were still doing arithmetic in seventh grade and didn't fully start a foreign language until eighth grade.
I am a little miffed now that lunch breaks back then were only one-half of a period, so 20 minutes. We really had to rush to line up and then eat our lunches, especially if you were at the end of the line. Another time, the lunch supervisor made the entire lunchroom (about 100 students) stay after school to punish us because just a few students were being unruly. This was not fair to us, and I missed a student council meeting because of this.
All of us also all were required to attend vocational classes like metal shop, sewing, cooking, and woodshop even in the eighth grade, even though some were in the college-bound track.
This is what the classes were for college-track students:
6th grade (9 periods of 40 minutes each):
English
Social Studies (I forget what)
Math (arithmetic)
Science
Reading
Vocational (woodshop, metal/plastic shop, art, sewing, cooking, library skills)
Spelling (called "Achievement")/Lunch
Music/P.E.
Activity period
7th Grade (9 periods of 40 minutes each):
English
Social Studies (local history: NY State, Chautauqua County, and City of Dunkirk)
Math (advanced intensive arithmetic)
Science/Health
Reading/tour of German, Spanish, and French to see what you liked best
Vocational (art, either woodshop or metal/plastic show, either sewing or cooking)
Spelling (called "Achievement")/Lunch
Music/P.E.
Activity period
8th Grade (9 periods of 40 minutes each):
English
Social Studies (American history I think)
Math (pre-algebra)
Science
one of the three: Spanish, French, German for high school credit
Vocational (art, either woodshop or metal/plastic show, either sewing or cooking)
Spelling/other areas of the class' choice (called "Achievement")/Lunch
Music/P.E.
Activity period
As for sports, there weren't many, unlike today. The was intramural after-school basketball in all grades, but for boys only. And there was an extramural eighth grade boys basketball team (by tryout only). Major Title IX violations here!
Back then, there was not a sports field on campus and no parking lot for teachers and staff. Don't believe me? Take a look at the website Historic Aerials (https://www.historicaerials.com/viewer) to see what it was like in the 1980's. I'm jealous of today's students! :-)