Communities undergo many changes over the years, and that includes Sutton Middle/High School. In 2014, the old building was destroyed to create a bigger, better school for the growing population of kids in Sutton.
Mr. Whittier and Ms. Corron have been members of the Sutton community since they were students here. Their knowledge of our schools was essential to learning background information about our schools.
When asked about the biggest change she witnessed during her time at Sutton, Ms. Corron told me about the huge impact her new principal had on the school and the construction of the new building. When she went from eighth grade to ninth grade, “he started to clean up the school and do stuff [traditions] for the kids.” These traditions included the first ever Midnight Madness, and Ms. Corron continues this tradition within the middle school.
To teach in the portable classrooms was different as was having a campus that was very spread out. The opening of the new Middle School brought all these grades back together again.
Mr. Whittier emphasized the growth of the school and the new facilities. When he attended Sutton his grade had about 50 students, and now almost all of the grades at Sutton High School are double that number of students.
Both Mr. Whittier and Ms. Corron mentioned wanting to see more funding go towards the school as a way to support teachers, instructional assistants, and students. Money is needed for programs such as STEM and the Arts to ensure the success of the programs for our Sutton community.
As previously mentioned, Sutton used to be a very small community. One thing that is great about that is the connections and bonds that can form. In the past when most teachers would live in town, the relationship between teachers would continue past their workplace and be way more meaningful. The community has grown and teachers live in multiple different places which makes it hard to have this, but it would be great to have that connection back, Mr. Whittier tells me.
Even when change occurs, it’s important to take a step back and remember the nostalgic parts of it all. Mr. Whittier fondly remembers the coziness of the old building. The historical gym was a big one for Ms. Corron because it served as the auditorium sometimes that hosted the biggest activities to participate in and have so much fun. The history of the classrooms mattered as well. She talked about how you can tell the students who were there before you by the smells and sounds of the classroom.
Ms. Corron’s perspective has changed since transitioning to a staff member because the middle school experience she had was not great, so for students now she wants to be the person who understands.
Mr. Whittier says how his perspective has developed. When he went to school teachers did not have a strict plan to follow, no AP class, and no MCAS. The needs have changed because the rules have changed.
It was a different time than it is now and we need to recognize the differences, but also embrace the history of our school.
