ep pics part 3- junior high

If there is anything you have learned by now, it is that all NE pics have my mountain :). It also helps the I grew up next to my junior high school. Not *middle school*...*junior high school*...

H.E. Charles Junior High School was my home from the 7th to the 9th grades. I practically lived here for two reasons: 1) I was dedicate heart and soul to the music programs and 2) it made it so I never had to be home, but, no reason to explain that right now. On we go....

For a long time, there was a memorial with a beautiful tree and bench dedicated to a girl who attended Charles the same time I did and tragically died from an illness discovered too late. The jerk who became the principal of the school some time in the 90's decided it wasn't necessary and had it removed. Ass.

We were the home of the Chargers, and for a while I remembered the fight song lol. I found out recently that the school has adopted uniforms for the students to try and keep the gang influences out of the school, and so far it has worked beautifully.

If you go to the corner of that fence, and walk across the street, you are barely a stones' throw from my front yard :). Oh yeah...and my mountain ;).

This picture is of what was, at that time, the choir room. I spent darn near every waking moment here. No, seriously. I would be here from 730 a.m. to sometimes 6 or 7 p.m., practicing for competitions, concerts, plays, madrigals, solos/duos/trios/quads, jazz, sectionals, etc. etc. In my hayday, I could hit C above high C and then some, and even hit the same note as our lowest bass. Yes, folks, I was the shizzle :).

I can honestly say I had no bad experiences while attending Charles. If anything, this place was my sanctuary. Okay, well, that isn't completely true. The choir teacher ended up being canned for making sexual advances towards some of the female students, me being one of them. Actually, I was the one who brought it to the attention of the school. He was a fantastic director, but he seriously lacked any couth. Funnier still...years later I would work with him again when I was a permanent sub at one of the elementary schools. Guess what his job was...

So, there you go. Two schools down, one to go. Oh, the excitement of it all....;)