Learning more about the history of East Longmeadow High School

Date: 5/3/2010

May 3, 2010

By Amanda Butcher

Special to Reminder Publications



In the year 1960, segregation of races was beginning to be a problem, especially in the South. President Eisenhower signed the Civil Rights Act of 1960. Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" was released. The presidential election of 1960 was narrowly won by John F. Kennedy. Locally, the East Longmeadow High School was opened.

When I came to the high school from the almost-new middle school in 2007, I was impressed by its size and the feeling of confidence that came with being in high school. I was able to navigate to all of my classes within a week due to its easy to remember layout - if I ever got lost, I would eventually end up where I started because the hallways all connected.

"That's one of the things I love about the high school," said Rosemarie Molinari Myers, a graduate of the class of 1965, when I spoke with her a few weeks ago. "I still know my way around." In that respect at least, not much has changed.

However, Myers also told me that around the time of her graduation, the dress code was much less casual. She told me that a girl had to wear skirts or dresses to school - never pants or jeans. Skirts had to touch the ground when the student was kneeling, otherwise they'd have to go home and change! Also, the doors were never locked. One didn't have to buzz in when they came in late because there wasn't as much fear in the '60s as there is today. "High school was fun because there was little fear and little competition," she told me.

I also spoke with Richard Freccero, principal of East Longmeadow High School since 1987. He told me that when he first started at the high school, there were many less students - only about 600 students as opposed to the (approximately) 900 students who attend ELHS now. The class sizes were smaller because the number of classrooms in the high school has not changed.

One of the biggest changes from middle school to high school was the switch to block scheduling. Students have three 84-minute classes and two 41-minute classes in a day, rather than the seven 45-minute classes of middle school. I love the block scheduling because during the longer classes, more can be done. We can all thank Mr. Freccero for the block scheduling because when he first came to ELHS, there were seven classes in a day.

Some of the actual classes have changed too. STCC used to teach classes at ELHS, and students who chose a vocational curriculum had a separate hallway in the back of the school where the chorus room is today. An autism program was added while Mr. Freccero was in office. Many business classes, like law and marketing, were added to the program of studies, as were all technology education classes. New German classes were added as well as many of the music and music tech classes.

Our school colors are the same, although students in the past referred to them as "silver and scarlet" rather than gray and red (as we say today).

As we celebrate the last 50 years and look forward to the next 50, we thank the past and future principals for changing the school as they did and as they will. And to Mr. Freccero - we'll all miss you!