I loved going up the wide staircases to classes, because it felt regal. I adored the auditorium, which looked like a mini-Cascade Theatre. Decker’s history class, because he was a kind man who said I was smart, which I didn’t feel, but appreciated the vote of confidence. He taught English, and it was probably the first time I had a chance to really write. That was the last time I picked up a violin. Putnam also taught at Shasta High School, so I was in his orchestra class until I graduated high school. He managed to extract the very best from every student. Putnam was nice, and had a good rapport with mostly all the students, but his set point was super strict. Putnam’s class was my first taste of playing classical music Bach’s Brandenburg concertos and Vivaldi. Shield’s string classes at Sequoia Junior High, where we played things like Eleanor Rigsby. Putnam’s class was a huge step up from Mrs. Ken Putnam’s orchestra class, the highlight of each day for me. This photo was from Doni and Shelly Chamberlain’s shared yearbook, the Nova Nebula, Volume 4: ’70/’71.īut the truth is, I didn’t really hate Nova , because there were some things about Nova that I cherished. I still remember that when I brought lunch money, I usually spent it on a meal of Certs, yogurt and Reese’s cups. I gained weight that year because I spent a lot of time in that basement cafeteria, which was always so warm that my glasses fogged in the winter. Nova was the first year I attended a school where students could buy whatever we wanted from the cafeteria, unsupervised. I often felt lost and overwhelmed at Nova, especially between classes, walking among the throngs of students. Nova was so big, with so many students, which was a difficult adjustment for me after coming from Sequoia Junior High School that was relatively smaller with far fewer kids. And generally speaking, when I bump into someone who mentions Nova, and they say they loved Nova, my auto response is I didn’t. I hate to be the one person on this site to say something quasi-negative about Nova, but overall, Nova was just too much for me. “Nova made a seemingly large city small, and introduced the willing to different points of view that hopefully prepared them for life today,” Flanagan said. “Nova was such a great place to meet kids from other schools that you would never have if you went straight to your high school as a freshmen!” Breedlove said. Kenny Breedlove and Michael Flanagan also waxed nostalgic about Nova. “The Nova experience that began in 1967 brought many students with varying backgrounds across Shasta County together to share their freshman year in a common educational environment that I believe brought our community together and formed bonds that have lasted over 50 years,” Schreder said. Jack Schreder was Nova High School’s principal from 1967 until 1974. There, we would put down roots and grow into seniors, if we were lucky.ĭr. After leaving Nova we all would be scattered like seeds to the wind as sophomores to attend whichever high schools were closest to our neighborhoods. What was unique about Nova High School was it was one school where everyone was in the same grade: 9th. In the press release, Jack Schreder, Nova’s first principal (he was there when I was there), spoke fondly of the school he helped create. Eventually, Shasta High moved next door into the old Shasta College spot, and Shasta College moved out to its current location off Highway 299. The current Shasta High School was the former Shasta College. But before U-Prep, and before Nova High, that grand structure was the original Shasta High School. Man, did that press release bring back memories about Nova High, located inside that gorgeous stately building on Eureka Way that’s now University Preparatory School, commonly referred to as U-Prep. About 100 words in I realized my quote would have hijacked the press release, so I moved over to my own post, which is what you’re reading now. This column began as a short quote to include in the press release about Nova High School’s 50th anniversary event.
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