In the Fall of 1964, former principal, Anatole G. Pendo extended a warm welcome to the Freshman Class.

He took the time to acknowledge the challenges one may face as a student entering the building, particularly when they would only be here for a short period of time. In his words, “Although this is a message of welcome, it is also a message of farewell, for in a few short months the echoes of Spaulding High shall echo no more as all shall be transferred to our new and beautiful structure.”

Mr. Pendo was referring to the new home of Spaulding High School on 155 Ayers Street. Former Spaulding graduate and Vermont governor, Dr. Deane C. Davis spoke at the dedication on February 7th, 1965 and said, “This new high school building will have a tremendous influence upon the lives of thousands and thousands of future students. The opportunity is here.”

And fifty years later, their comments continue to be echoed in the present. Acting principal, Mrs. Waterhouse enthusiastically welcomed the freshman class, Class of 2018 and noted that they would be the 125th class to graduate. She acknowledged that each and every one of them are individuals, but together they and we are Tide Strong. Director of Guidance, Mr. Nicholson discussed the importance of working relationships, especially between the students, teachers, and parents. He believed this was the key to success, along with pursuing academic excellence.

Mr. Aither, assistant principal, and interim assistant principal, Ms. Meunier had an honest and open conversation about learning from one’s mistakes. This again was echoed by Jason and Andrew from Atypical Entertainment during an electrifying performance where they too experienced a few errors in their act. They did not criticize and they did not fall prey to failure, but instead they persevered with humor and grace. They recognized the challenges that freshmen face, especially the first few days of school with ‘that feeling of bewilderment as one travels around the building looking for their classroom or even a familiar face.’ This experience was also true for students when they entered the new building in 1965.

The building was structurally advanced with more rooms than before. It was spacious and modern for its time and even today, Spaulding High School continues to transform itself in order to meet the needs of its 21st century learners. Over the past few years, the new building has had several updates in the areas of technology, classroom settings, such as the science labs and even more recently, a new roof. The school’s staff and students greatly appreciate the community for supporting this endeavor, along with the dedicated maintenance crew who worked tirelessly preparing the building.

Dr. Bacon, current superintendent, offered his gratitude and acknowledged how fortunate he was to be a part of the transformation in Barre. He even asked the faculty and staff of all three schools who were graduates of Spaulding High School to stand up. He noted how impressive the numbers were and how clearly great this community is and continues to be. He too recognized the number of possibilities that the Barre community has to offer and echoed the sentiments of former superintendent from 1964, Dr. Clyde G. Fussell, “Whatever is worth doing, is worth doing well.” Clearly, the school community is doing well and will continue to do with their Tide Pride.

To celebrate and honor the “new” building that is turning 50, current and former members of the Spaulding High School community are invited to share the ways in which you showed your Tide Pride between the years of 1965-2015.

Submit an appropriate image as a jpg attachment, and quick tidbit, to be used in the school yearbook, “Our Echo.” Make sure to include your name and year of graduation if you are an alum.

Deadline: Saturday, October 18th. If you have any questions, feel free to reach Ms. LaFrancis, Class of 1988 at mlafrshs@u61.net, Miss Megan LeCours, Class of 2015 at mlecoshs@u61.net, or Miss Julia Ormsby, Class of 2015 at jormsshs@u61.net.

Thank you for supporting the home of the Crimson Tide.