Collection: Newspapers > Nevada County Nugget

About This Item:

Title: September 10, 1975 Collection Type: Newspapers Collection Name: Nevada County Nugget Published: September 10, 1975 Copyright: In the public domain or published before 1925 Physical Format: Newspaper # of Pages: 8 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

Printed or handwritten: All printed text Date Scanned: 2023-04-10 16:44:22 Scanning Equipment: Professionally Scanned OCR Software Version #: tesseract 5.4.1 Item Sourced From: JPGs First Created: 2025-03-17 04:15:46 Last Updated: 2025-03-17 04:15:46

Original Held At: Doris Foley Library Location: 211 North Pine Street, Nevada City, CA 95959

Page: of 8  

SOCIALIZING DURING their breaks is an important part of development for these youngsters who obviously enjoy eating lunch under the tall pines at their Combie Road school: Happiness is... a nice new school == It takes something special to make -youngsters smile on their first day back to school after summer vacation. And something special was in store for all the smiling upperclassmen last week in the Pleasant Ridge School District. The happy and eager seventh and eighth graders were attending their own new school for the very first time and all of the 177 faces reflected pride and excitement. New facilities were made possible by voters in the Pleasant Ridge District who last November approved a seven year 25cent override tax. When the district first appealed to the taxpayers, the Duggan Road school was housing 525 students in very crowded conditions. They proposed purchasing the former Arvin building and 50.8 acres of surrounding land and converting it into a school. Total purchase price of the 10,000-square-foot building and grounds was $250,000 or $20 per foot. A 1974 estimate of $40 per square foot was derived from a state study concerning construction of a similar facility. Magnolia School, named after another school located in the vicinity in the late 1800s, opened its doors last week to the students, six teachers and administrative staff headed by principal Jim Meshwert. A noticeable change has already taken place according to Meshwert who noted ‘‘the kids feel more mature with a facility of their own. They socialize more and that is just as important as academic development.” Although completion remains in the future, the six classes are well organized and operating under a relaxed atmosphere. Late full-time men are handling custodial and maintenance work. Classes are operating Without ‘‘lots of things considered normal in a school’ the principal advised. Carpeting and folding doors should arrive early next week which will allow teachers to separate the classrooms and eliminate echoes. “Fach day is almost like Christmas to the youngsters,” Meshwert mused, noting that lockers and other equipment are arriving daily. Major renovation work had to be completed before most things were ordered although many things were brought from Pleasant Ridge School. “We will be enlisting help from the students for landscaping and other projects,” he advised, adding he had heard ‘‘nothing but good reports” from the youngsters and their parents. eshwett feels they.are’ able to, offer, a more varied.’ education'by trying néw things: “We will not be locking the kids to a sihgle class but 4 The Netedls ‘County Nugget Wed., September 10, 1975 ; ry ‘ ae ‘ KATIE MAURER teaches Spanish ‘and reading for both seventh'arid eighth graders Student's think the relaxed aura of thelr infurnishéd classroain Is great.’ ‘ DOT HILL, librarian for both schools in the Pleasant Ridge’ School District is busy preparing one of the seven new rooms to be used as a library for the up-