School Construction Projects

 In 1978 I had finished 8th grade a Chandler Junior High and the new South High School was going to be opening that September.    

Our neighborhood, off Mower Street, where we all went to Doherty was told that for 9th grade we would all have to go South High School.   Fear of the unknown???   We all scattered choosing to go to Holy Name, Saint Peters, Bancroft and myself Saint John's.      

Ironically in the end we were allowed to stay at Doherty or go to South and some us ended up going both South and Doherty, as well all the schools mentioned above.   Never would have thought in 1978, during my lifetime this brand new high school would end its useful life and be torn down.    

Sorry but I can not help stop thinking about that as I see the monies being invested into two and now maybe three new high schools....

Found this from GoLocalWorcester and Maureen Binienda:

“It was in August 1978 that I first walked into the halls of South High Community School as a 24-year-old teacher. It was a beautiful new building that included an amazing field house and an Olympic size pool. As a swimmer and a lifeguard, I was overjoyed at having the opportunity to teach at this brand new school. Faculty members were even allowed to swim during their planning period but when too many teachers were late to class, swimming was only allowed after school!! The faculty had been hand selected, mostly from the former South High School, and there was a welcoming climate throughout the school.

We were gathered in the English lecture area and we instructed in the new language of the new school:

1. Rooms would be called pods.

2. Lunch periods were called nutrition waves

3. The three main corridors would be called Main Street.

4. And we were shown the new schedule which was called the semi differential rotating schedule. We actually practiced saying that. There would be 6 periods a day and something called a rotating block. Days would not be days of the week but A, B, C, D day.

5. We learned to clap (moving fingers) not to disturb surrounding classes as it was explained- this was an open classroom school.

It felt like I had stepped into a new world.   I never imagined what this school would come to mean to me.   South High became my home for 38 years