Back in the Day...

Believe it or not, Jamesville-Dewitt High School faculty members were once high school students themselves. But since our teachers and staff graduated, a lot has changed.

Now, students have a multitude of course offerings, many that are new since teachers were in school. More students are graduating from high school and attending college and less are dropping out. New clubs and activities have sprung up and students stay connected with each other in completely different ways.

A few faculty members look back on their own high school experiences and compare them to high school today.

Jamie Crawford, social studies teacher
Graduated from: Tully High School in 2001.
Favorite subject: Math.
High School Influences: "My favorite teacher was Mrs. Blocklin because she was fun and she made things interesting." Mrs. Blocklin was Miss Crawford's global history teacher.
Favorite part of school then: Socialization with friends.
Differences between then and now: The prevalence and kinds of technology. "We had cell phones, but they weren't that small." Also, there were no iPods or mp3 players. Not all students had such devices, so technology wasn't as regulated as now.
Similarities between then and now: "There's still drama. Kids still complain about homework and teachers."
What made your high school unique? "I had a graduating class of 82 [students]."

Jay Lang, math and computer science teacher
Graduated from: Marcellus Central High School in 1994.
Favorite subject: U.S. History
Helpful advice that he was given in high school: "To not put too much pressure on myself."
Favorite part of school then: "Friends, of course."
Favorite part of school now: "Being able to meet so many incredible students."
Differences between then and now: Like Ms. Crawford, Mr. Lang notices the changes in technology, especially cell phones. Although cell phones were around at the time, not as many students owned them, and they weren't as convenient and compact as they are now.
Similarities between then and now: "Teenage behavior."
What made your high school unique? Mr. Lang went to high school with the same kids that he went to kindergarten with. Because they had grown up together in a small class of 117 people, Mr. Lang and his classmates felt "almost like siblings".

Donna Oppedisano, social studies teacher
Graduated from: Bishop Grimes in 1978.
Favorite subject: Math.
High school influences: Mrs. Oppedisano said that Bishop Grimes had a good sense of togetherness, and so she felt like she was part of something bigger than just herself.
Favorite part of school then: "It was just fun. Everything seemed exciting."
Favorite part of school now: Mrs. Oppedisano says that now high school teachers are able offer a quality education that teaches students more than just facts.
Differences between then and now: When Mrs. Oppedisano attended Bishop Grimes there was modular scheduling. Mods were 20 minutes each and a class could take up as many as six mods. Classes ranged from 40 minutes to two hours on this schedule and met irregularly. Also, students were given learning activity packets, which included all work for a unit. Students moved through the work at their own pace.
Similarities between then and now: "Kids are still kids," says Mrs. Oppedisano, and a typical high school student still has a sense of humor, a need to socialize, and a desire to have a good time.
What made your high school unique? At Bishop Grimes, there was "Grimes Day," similar to "J-D Day". Also, there was a moving up tradition where students would race from one bleacher section to the next. In assemblies, students were divided in the gym by grade and each year students moved to the next section up. Students always looked forward to running across the gym because it meant that they were upperclassmen.

Amy LeStrange, school counselor
Graduated from: West Irondequoit High School, in a suburb of Rochester.
Favorite subjects: Social studies and art.
High school influences: One teacher supported Mrs. LeStrange and believed in her, nominating her for a leadership conference even though she was shy. It helped her to become more outgoing and a better leader.
Favorite part of school then: Friends.
Favorite part of school now: Working with students and the energy of the job.
Differences between then and now: The college search. Now, students have the Internet and school counselors to help them look at colleges, but most students found colleges through catalogs when Mrs. LeStrange was in high school. "Our high school career center was full of books and I remember looking through them at colleges without much help," she says.
Biggest regret: "That I never took classes like chorus or band."
What made your high school unique? "It was a close community." Even though West Irondequoit had over twice as many students as J-DHS, Mrs. LeStrange says there was a strong sense of unity.

Ron Nuzzo, band teacher
Graduated from: Syracuse Central High School, which is still located in downtown Syracuse, but is not in use currently. The school's Lincoln Auditorium had an exciting musical history. According to Mr. Nuzzo, the auditorium was used by the Syracuse Symphony before the Civic Center was built. Also, great musicians played there, including George Gershwin and Sergei Rachmaninoff.
Favorite Subject: Band.
Favorite part of school then: "The friends that we made."
Favorite part of school now: "Working with my wonderful students."
Differences between then and now: Mr. Nuzzo has been at J-DHS for over 40 years and he has noticed many changes. He believes that classes today are more difficult than classes he took in high school, because he went to school before Sputnik and the international educational competition. "Math and science have become more difficult," he says. Also, there were no advanced courses. "Everyone would be bunched together in physics – there wasn't any separation or 'tracking,'" he says. Also, there were no school buses!
Similarities between then and now: "Teacher-student relationships. We could call teachers at home and get help with homework. Now, we have such a great dedicated staff that is always willing to help students."
What made your high school unique? At Mr. Nuzzo's high school, there were fraternities and sororities. The groups sat together at lunch with signs for each group at each table. Mr. Nuzzo belonged to the group "Senate." He says he didn't like the concept of Greek life in high school because "it grouped kids too much." Also, his high school had only one counselor. When he asked her about attending the prestigious Eastman School of Music in Rochester, she hardly knew where it was.
Mr. Nuzzo had a very diverse graduating class of over 400 people. "I learned so much from all of the different people."