Rigor and Excellence -
All Students Meeting Standards
15701 B Street East, Tacoma, WA 98445 (253) 683-5400 FAX (253) 683-5498
School History
 
1960's

Spanaway Junior High School is built for 1.3 million dollars.

Spanaway Junior High is designed using the "open concept." The classrooms have moveable walls and are without doors.

The library layout is open and shares space with the student lockers. There are no doors restricting student entrance into the library. Students can freely pass from one side of B building to the other through the library.

The district abandons the idea of opening SJH as a middle school. Because of overcrowding, the new school will house 7th, 8th and 9th graders.

1970's

Spanaway Junior High School opens.

Carl Bond and Pat O'Brien guide SJH through its first year as principal and vice-principal.

The Bethel School Board relaxes the dress code. Girls are permitted to wear slacks.

Will Damrau joins the staff of SJH as principal.

Spanaway Junior High begins year-round school using the 45/15 model.

Spanaway Junior High undergoes a major expansion and remodel.

The small gymnasium is built and the locker rooms are expanded.

The breezeways between A and B buildings are enclosed.

 
1980's

Mary Dickey and Ron Poage join the administration as vice-principals.

The track, football field and softball fields are built. A sprinkler system is installed to maintain the turf on the football field.

Mr. Makepeace gets SJH's first computer, a Radio Shack TRS-80 with 8k ram.

Jay Reifel is the 3rd principal to lead SJH.

The Bethel School District ends year-round school.

School opens with only the 7th and 8th grade classes. The 9th grade class is housed in the just-completed Spanaway Lake High School.

The Spanaway Warriors double-shift with Cedarcrest Chargers. The school is used by Spanaway in the morning and Cedarcrest in the afternoon.

Cedarcrest Junior High School opens in November and life at SJH returns to normal.

Grant Hosford takes over as principal.

All classrooms finally have doors.

The garden in the court yard is dedicated in memory of Jerry Rankin, the school custodian.

1990's

Glenn Worthington becomes the fifth principal of Spanaway Junior High School.

Soon after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the U.S. Army calls up Mr. Worthington to active duty. He departs midway through 1st semester. Mary Dickey becomes acting principal.

Sterling Thurston takes over as principal.

The district hires full time security officer for SJH.

The last of the original orange carpet is removed and replaced with soothing dark blue.

The school develops the Technology Resource Center, a multimedia computer lab used by 8th grade classes.

The Bethel School District begins a program for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing at SJH.

Telephones are installed in every classroom.

Cliff Anderson and Pam Burke join the staff as principal and vice-principal.

Students learn to live by the 3 R's: Respect yourself; Respect Others; and Respect Your School.

Each classroom has at least 1 computer for teacher and/or student use.

SJH goes on line. Each staff member is given an email account.

The internet is available in every classroom. Student guidelines for internet use are developed.

SJH develops its own web site.

SJH adopts "Pride Wear" dress code.

Attendance and grades are done electronically through the school server.

2000's

John Mishra becomes the 9th principal at SJH.

7th Grade "Teaming" concept implemented to help make an easier transition for incoming students.

Roger Samples joins the administration as the 10th principal of SJH.

Plans were made for the construction of a brand new SJH building.

The new building is 100,000 square feet, the largest junior high in the district. The New SJH was built on the old Thompson Elementary site.

PHOTO TOUR OF OLD SJH

Students move to the New SJH at the end of the 2006-2007 school year.

Students begin the 2007-2008 school year in the New SJH. Tom Gifford joins the staff at SJH as Assistant Principal.