The West Wendover new middle school finally opened its doors to the 7th and 8th graders this past Monday. There were still a few problems who will need to be addressed in the near future. The school is still sharing staff which means 7th and 8th graders must walk over to the high school for music, PE, art, some math classes, and other. Three teachers also must walk over to the middle school to teach a class. And the 7/8th graders have to go to the High school for lunch as well. The building is not entirely done, so the reading specialists have no place to do their job yet, or the computers necessary to run the reading program for the students. “It just seems to be unfair as the other middle schools in the district are fully independent schools. Why aren’t we? In my opinion unless they weren’t going to fully staff the middle school they should never have opened it” said one concerned parent.
Besides not having all the teachers necessary, the school is also understaffed at the office. There is a secretary, Alissa Lobato and an attendance secretary, Mayra Dorado. But the secretary’s assistant seems to be the reading program specialist (in need of a room and computers).
The nurses were also still learning their jobs. A nurse from the Elko County school district office, Mary Headley, was training them for a few more days to be on the computer system of the district. It was a nice surprise to see that both nurses for the middle school were graduated from West Wendover High School. Nurse Maria Luna graduated in 1999, and nurse Estella Bauer, in 2010.
We also talked to Mr. Reamer, who used to teach at the Junior/High, 7th and 8th, and now teach only the 8th graders. We asked him if he was teaching is youngest child, but he said that she will go to the high school to take her math class. We asked him about the school having a different mascot and colors than the West Wendover High school. He personally was happy with the school , and the school principal, Mr. Condie, as Reamer said that they were given the opportunity to get involved in the decision process and that it was a collective effort who brought them to have a new mascot, the Wolf (or Wolves), and new colors, blue and gray. And that the 7th and 8th graders still would be able to participate in some Wolverine events.
A week ago we talked to Elko County school district superintendent Jeff Zander, who said that the school was ready except for the gym who would take an other week to be finished. But it was not entirely all. The front of the school had still workers and machines working the grounds. Holes and wires still worked on, gravel to be added around the trees, the school sign still saying”West Wendover Elementary”. We also thought it was odd that the girls’ bathrooms had the old elementary school sinks, really low for 7th and 8th graders.
At the price tag that this rebuild came to, we were expecting everything spanking new. But the whole summer long the machines were working outside and it seems that only the parking lot and the gym got the money.
