Spanaway
Junior High School
Major
Historical Events
1967
- The Bethel School District enrollment climbs to 4,100
students.
- The District makes plans to build a "middle school" at 159th
and 5th Ave East, housing grades 6, 7, and 8.
- TOP
1968
- Voters in the Bethel School District approve a construction
bond issue.
- The state emergency funds provide 70% of the cost of building
a new middle school.
- TOP
1969
- Spanaway Junior High School is built for 1.3 million
dollars.
- The building design uses 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.
- TOP
1970-71 School Year
- 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.
- TOP
1973-74 School Year
- Will Damrau joins the staff of SJH as principal. Carl Bond
moves over to Bethel Junior High School.
- Students at Bethel High School double-shift to relieve
overcrowding.
- The Bethel School Board adopts a plan for year-round school
for the following school year. All schools except Bethel High
School will be affected.
- TOP
1974-75 School Year
- Spanaway Junior High begins year-round school using the 45/15
model.
- The student body is divided into four tracks. The track
schedules are staggered so that three tracks are in school at any
one time while one track is on vacation. A different track goes on
vacation every 15 school days.
- TOP
1977-78 School Year
- Jay Reifel joins Mary Lou Pearson as school counselor.
- TOP
1978-79 School Year
- 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.
- All of the student lockers are removed from B and C building
hallways and placed in the enclosed breezeways and the
commons.
- Partitions enclose the library and doors are added to each
side which open into the newly created hallways.
- Two small classrooms are added in C building where the student
lockers were vacated. A new entrance and hallway is built for
access to the three classrooms in the middle.
- TOP
1980-81 School
Year
- Mary Dickey and Ron Poage join the administration as
vice-principals. Pat O'Brien leaves to oversee the planning of
Cedarcrest Junior High School.
- The track, football field and softball fields are built. A
sprinkler system is installed to maintain the turf on the football
field.
- TOP
1981-82 School Year
- Jay Reifel is the 3rd principal to lead SJH.
- Mary Dickey continues as vice-principal.
- 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.
- Sharon Olson, our PE teacher, is chosen as Washington State
Teacher of the Year.
- TOP
1982-1983 School Year
- The year begins with Spanaway Warriors double-shifting 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.
- Terry Liefson inaugurates the Cultural Fair for the 8th grade
class. The fair is later carried on by Corey Millard.
- TOP
1984-85 School Year
- Janel Chang of the 7th grade and Nikki Montgomery of the 9th
grade represent the State of Washington at the National History
Day competition in Washington, D.C.
- TOP
1985-86 School Year
- Grant Hosford takes over as principal.
- Staff and students unite following the deaths of three
students.
- TOP
1986-87 School Year
- All classrooms finally have doors. While this greatly reduces
the noise caused by the "open concept" design, the new doors
create a new problem. They interfere with the heating and
ventilation system which confounds the experts to this day.
- TOP
1987-1988 School Year
- Grant Hosford leaves at the end of the year to become
principal at Spanaway Lake High School.
- The garden in the court yard is dedicated in memory of Jerry
Rankin, the school custodian.
- TOP
1990-1991 School
Year
- Glenn Worthington becomes the fifth principal of Spanaway
Junior High School.
- Steve Remlick takes up the reins as vice-principal.
- 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.
- Mary Dickey leaves to plan for the opening of Frontier Junior
High School.
- TOP
1991-1992 School Year
- Sterling Thurston takes over as principal.
- Jeff Scheuerman organizes the first annual "garden party."
Walkways are graveled, and flower beds are raised with railroad
ties in front of the school and in the courtyard.
- TOP
1992-93 School Year
- Under the leadership of Robert Barnette, Spanaway Junior High
School adopts a site-based management plan.
- TOP
1993-94 School Year
- Spanaway's strategic plan calls for an increased emphasis on
technology.
- The district hires full time security officer for SJH.
- TOP
1994-95 School year
- The last of the original orange carpet is removed and replaced
with soothing dark blue.
- Leaky, aging roof damages the library carpet and books.
- The school develops a computer lab large enough to handle the
typical class.
- The Bethel School District begins a program for the Deaf and
Hard-of-Hearing at SJH run by Meagan Reehling.
- TOP
1995-96 School Year
- Telephones are installed in every classroom.
- TOP
1996-1997 School year
- Cliff Anderson and Pam Burke join the staff as principal and
vice-principal.
- "SJH Pride" and "Its a Beautiful Day" become the school's new
watchwords.
- Students learn to live by the 3 R's: Respect yourself; Respect
Others; and Respect Your School.
- Spanaway gets a new roof and a new coat of paint.
- A sprinkling system is installed on the front lawn.
- The gravel walkways around both sides of B building are
paved.
- Pam Burke leaves SJH to become principal at Columbia Crest
Elementary in Eatonville.
- TOP
1997-98 School Year
- Tom Gifford moves in as vice-principal.
- The "Garden Party" makes improvements to the school's flower
beds. Shrubs and trees are planted.
- Spanaway's computer lab goes on line. Student guidelines for
internet use are developed.
- Each classroom is wired for the internet.
- A scuba diving accident takes the life of Meagan Reehling,
teacher of the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing.
- TOP
1998-99 School Year
- SJH adopts "Pride Wear" dress code.
- Attendance and grades are done electronically through the
school server.
- TOP
1999-2000 School Year
- Jeff Hunt becomes vice-principal having occupied the save
position at Cedarcrest Junior High
- John Mishra becomes the first Dean of Students at S.J.H..
- Tom Gifford takes a principal position in the Clark County
School District in Las Veges, Nevada.
- Student enrollment climbs above 900. Pierce County installs a
sewer line down B Street which allows for increased student
enrollment. Two additional portables are installed bringing the
total to five.
- The school's strategic plan places a renewed emphasis on
reading.
If you have any additions or suggestions, please
contact Paul
Trepus, "The School Historian."
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