After the 6th Grade it was time to face the World. Thus, at the age of 12, I left the friendly confines
of a neighborhood grade school to attend Northeast Junior High. Instead of the same teacher all year long, we had several.
Instead of the same classroom, we went to various rooms all over the school. Instead of a cloak room to put our stuff, where
we didn't need any locks, we had lockers which required a combination lock. Probably the hardest thing I ever had to learn
in school was to keep remembering my combination lock number. I had never seen so many kids in my life.
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SEVENTH GRADE 1960-1961
I had to start at the bottom of the heap all over again. Instead of being BKOP (Big Kid On the Playground)
as when in the 6th Grade, I was once again, a "Lower Classman". Also, it was bad enough having to break in one teacher per
year in elementary school; but now, I had to break in six. Some of the classes were for just one semester, so you'd have to
break in additional ones as well.
I know what you're thinking, "How was the 7th Grade?" Okay, I'll tell you. It was strange at first. Most
of the kids that I had been in class with from Kindergarten through 6th Grade were scattered in other classrooms. I had to
start making a lot of new friends who I wasn't used to. But, make them I did. That's the nice thing about children. They can
get along with anybody. That's why JESUS said to become like little children, because they don't know how to hate or make
war and their thoughts are on good things and not evil ones.
We had what were known as "Home Rooms" where we would spend half the day. In our Home Rooms we were taught
the United States Constitution and the Gettysburg Address and how our Government runs. We were being taught how to take our
place in American society when we became of age. It's a shame nobody ever taught the politicians who run this country these
things, because all they've ever done is ruin our way of life.
The people who built Northeast Junior had the foresight to include a swimming pool. I learned to swim in
that pool. I was never that good, though. But, I could keep my head above water, which is what really counts, because at least
you can breathe. One thing I never liked about swimming, which was always on Friday, is that the boys had to swim in the nude.
Also, that cold water took a little getting used to. The biggest thrill of swimming was that there were always nice towels
fresh from the dryer when class was over. I'm not trying to sound like a cry baby, but the girls got to wear swimming suits
and the water was heated for them. Chivalry can sometimes be painful. I hope you girls appreciate the fact that we boys had
to take off our clothes and freeze so you could swim in comfort. The least you could do is award us a medal or something!
One bad thing did happen while swimming. I liked to duck my head under water a lot. I don't know what happened, but one time
when I ducked under the water, some water was forced up into my sinuses. Pool water is not what you'd call clean. From then
on, I had problems with my sinuses. I would miss school up to 5 days at a time until I graduated. My sinuses still bother
me to this day. And, every once in a while, I can still taste that pool water. These man-made chemicals and drugs can stay
in your body for a lifetime. From what I understand, the pool has been torn out and offices put in its stead at the Junior
building. This action is not only uncalled for, but insane. Thousands of kids learned to swim and learned how to save lives
in that pool. Not only that, but the name was changed to Northeast Middle School. That's what happens when Christians allow
the Devil's people to take control of the educational system.
Lunch time was a completely new experience for me. At the Junior building, the cafeteria encompassed most
of the 4th Floor. I remember that even though we had something like 1600 kids, once you picked a seat at a table, it was yours.
Nobody ever took it. It was the same way at the Senior building. Kids had a sense of honor that a lot of adults don't have.
TEACHERS
Mrs. Lefman - Home Room
She taught Common Learnings. Her husband, Ray, was also a teacher. He organized
a bunch of kids into kind of a swing band. They were called the "Junior Vikes".
Mr. Bianco - Band
My first experience in Band Class was quite something. I was no llnger a part of
a small elementary school band; this was big kid stuff. Mr. Bianco would be my Band instructor for the next 6 years of my
school life. We had a beautiful big classroom with very high ceilings. Both the Junior and Senior buildings had them. They
lowered the ceilings in the late 60's which was a mistake. The reason for the high ceilings was because the schools were built
to accomodate 2000 students, plus faculty and employees. With that many people, you need room to breathe. That's what the
high ceilings provided, especially in Winter when the windows were closed. We kids always had plenty of fresh air. That's
why school kids today are getting sick all the time. They have to live and study in an environment that has low ceilings and
tight construction, which makes fresh air almost impossible to get. Getting back to Band, at this time of my life it was no
more kiddie music. I was introduced to music written by the "March King", himself, John Philip Sousa. To this day, I still
love those Sousa marches. As far as I'm concerned, it is absolutely unAmerican not to like parades and John Philip sousa marches.
Physical Education - Coach Hoverder
Miss Gray - Science - 1st Semester
I remember she once told the class that when she was younger, she volunteered to
try out one of those new fangled "Stanley Steamers". From what I remember, she really went flying down the road.
Mr. Thiel - Wood Shop - 2nd Semester
He once bought a new car, a 1961 Chevrolet. He said you could buy things like that
if you didn't smoke or drink, because those vices took away your money. He and other teachers used to take kids on organized
weekend train trips to places like Chicago and Denver so they could see the major sites and understand the country
in which they lived.
Miss Vaughan - Mathematics
The younger generation will probably think I'm making this up, but when I was going
to school, we had to actually do math problems without the use of computers or calculators
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EIGHTH GRADE 1961-1962
I passed my rookie year at NEJR in pretty good shape.
TEACHERS
Mr. McKnight - Home Room - Social Studies & English
Where we learned a lot of American history in the 7th Grade, in the 8th Grade we
learned about the World. I remember he gave us a blank map of the World and we had to write in the names of all the countries
and their capitols from memory. The way countries change names these days, I doubt if anybody can keep up with the names anymore.
He taught us the dangers of Communism. Up to then, it was usually about Nazis, because our parents had gone through WWII.
I remember one time he took us out on a picnic to Swope Park. We had a student teacher, Tom Board. I rode with him. I rememeber
he had a little Ford Falcon. Teachers were always doing things like that for us. These days, the teachers wold probably take
them out to a video game place. I honestly believe that in the 7th and 8th Grades, I learned more about American history,
the United States constitution and other countries in the World, than what the average politician knows about these things
today.
Mr. Bianco - Band
Mrs. Malewski - Typing
Mr. Mitchell - Physical Education 1st Semester
Mr. Hoffman - Physical Education 2nd Semester
Miss Wimmer - Science
I think she was from one of the Carolinas as she had a Southern accent.
Mr. Hawthorne - Mathematics
He also helped coach the Junior Varsity football team for NEHS. One time he came
to class with one of his hands bandaged up. When someone asked what happened, Gloria Organ said that a football had bit him.
That got a lot of laughs.
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NINTH GRADE 1962-1963
Unlike at James School, it only took me 2 years to become an Upper Classman again.
However, instead of being called a "Ninth-Grader", I proudly wore the title of "Freshman". I am grateful that the Kansas
City Board of Education had the foresight to keep Freshmen in the Junior building. It not only gave us a chance to be Upper
Classmen, but it kept the Senior building from being overcrowded and kept us "Freshies" from being the lowest form of life
in the school. In the 9th Grade, we no longer had a Home Room. The courses we took were no longer just English or Arithmetic.
They were English 1 and Algebra 1. Everything had a number after it. The number "1" or Roman Numeral "I" meant the First Semester
and the number "2" or Roman Numeral "I I" meant the Second semester. Sometimes the teachers used regular numbers and
sometimes they used Roman numerals. I'll use regular numbers to keep things from getting confused.
TEACHERS
Mr. Bianco - Band 1 & "A"
"A" meant I got to march with the guys in the Senior Building. "Whoa"!!!
Mr. Hartman - Crafts 1 & 2
I'm still using a leather billfold I made in this class.
Coach Hoverder - BPE I & II (Boys Physical Education)
Mrs. Johnson - Algebra 1 & 2
Mr. Kirkpatrick - English 1 & 2
I sat next to a young lady by the name of Carol Stafford on the front row. It seems
that she and Linda Ambro, another James School classmate, came up with the "Steve Allen Fink Club". Carol was President and
Linda was Vice-President. I think they had some guys print up membership cards in the Senior building print shop, but I'm
not sure. I was one of the first members. Crazy as it might sound, I still have that card today. I even carried it around
in my billfold for years. Just think for a minute. Before Batman & Robin made it on TV, we had the Dynamic Girl Duo at
the Junior building!
Mr. Sano - Citizenship 1 & 2
During my Freshman year they decided to come up with Clubs like the school used
to have. With all the clubs and organizations to join, kids just didn't have time to get into trouble. They were too busy
having fun and learning new things. Anyway, I put in for the Bowling Club. Unfortunately, so did about half the school. I
got put in the Citizenship Club. We once put on a play for the school. I would rather have gone bowling than learn to be a
good citizen.
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