When I first heard that the town of Lunenburg would be getting a new high school, I was ecstatic. Even though I knew that I was not going to attend school in the new building, as it was not going to be finished until after I graduated, I was excited for the idea of future generations of Lunenburg students learning in a new environment that fit the needs of 21st-century learners. It wasn't until this past week that it really hit me that the school that has been there my entire life will not be there after this summer and that I will never be able to go back to visit my high school.
As much as I am grateful that future LHS students will have a beautiful building to learn, compete, act, sing, play, and make memories, I am also finding this change bittersweet. I grew up with LHS as a part of my life. My dad taught there for many years, and it was always a comforting feeling when I walked through the hallways to know which classrooms he had taught in or to see his name on a book in my English class when I was having a long day. The murals that have been painted around the school over the years brought back memories of when I was a young child going to visit my father at work. It's strange to imagine that these small comforts will no longer exist at the end of the summer.
However, there is also a part of me that is glad to see the old LHS go. Anyone who has been to Lunenburg High School can tell you about the ceiling problems. It was an old building, and the ceilings contained asbestos, and in some areas, black mold. Those same ceilings also leaked almost every time it rained or snowed, and considering we live in New England, that was a good chunk of the time. In the new building, students and staff won't have to worry about moving to a different classroom when the ceiling is leaking, or avoid certain parts of the hallway so they don't step in a mysterious brown puddle.
The new building also opens up an amazing opportunity for interaction between the high school students and the middle school students as both schools are in the same building and share some spaces. I hope that high school students take this opportunity to both set a good example for the younger students, as well as reach out in ways that are available, whether that is tutoring, sports clinics, music lessons, or even mentoring.
This change is bittersweet for many people, especially alumni and staff because Lunenburg High School has become a Lunenburg landmark over the years. It will definitely be strange to drive down Mass Ave. and not see the high school where it used to stand for my entire childhood. Farewell Lunenburg High School, and welcome Lunenburg Middle-High School!
