Thunder Mountain Middle School creates new learning environment while honoring legacies before its time

Approximately 500 families roamed the halls of the former Thunder Mountain High School on Tuesday evening during a Thunder Mountain Middle School open house, with many expressing their excitement over the larger space.

“Bigger lockers!” Baylee Wilson, who attended Dzantik’i Heeni Middle School last year, exclaimed.

TMMS Assistant Principal Laura Scholes said there were around 600 students enrolled as of Tuesday. Under the Juneau School District’s consolidation plan, elementary schools transitioned to K-6 — adding the sixth-graders to their ranks — and Floyd Dryden Middle School and DHMS combined grades 7-8 into TMMS. Optional and alternative schools moved to the DHMS campus.

Katie Rosson shared Wilson’s enthusiasm for a larger space, although she said she feels nervous heading into seventh grade on Thursday.

“More kids, which is a good thing, but also a bad thing,” Rosson said. “Overwhelming. It’s good because you get to meet new people and see more people.”

Nina Hollatz said she likes her new art classroom. She said there is a bigger kiln and more art supplies than what DHMS offered. She looks forward to creating ceramics this school year.

Nayeli Hood, who will be starting seventh grade with Wilson, Rosson and Hollatz, said she is happy she can take a Life Skills class again.

“Now we can cook and sew and learn outdoor skills,” Hood said.

Hood advocated for a Base Student Allocation increase in January during a public testimony opportunity at the Alaska State Capitol, citing her missed chances to participate in makerspace and art classes. The Life Skills program was cut at DHMS last school year.

TMMS Principal Shawn Arnold said the school is focusing on merging the cultures of FDMS and DHMS together to create something new. He said there are project-based shop classes that will offer students the chance to learn metalwork and woodwork in partnership with Sealaska Heritage Institute.

Arnold said TMMS teachers are looking forward to using the Kaxdigoowu Heen Dei (Mendenhall River Trail) for science, language arts and STEAM. He said the staff is aiming to incorporate place-based learning as much as possible. Arnold, who was also principal of TMHS, said it’s important to keep the high school’s legacy alive. The TMMS mascot will remain the falcon, and trophy cases from the two former middle schools and high school will be on display.

Students will be sorted into different houses, Arnold said. The middle schoolers will be organized into red, teal, or yellow where they will remain for their core classes through seventh and eighth grade. Arnold said the houses offer more targeted support for students who need additional assistance.

“The houses are almost like a school within a school,” Arnold said. “Our students will be working within each of those house teams for their core academics — math, science, language arts and history. They only leave their house when they go to exploratory classes — like P.E., art, and music. Part of the concept of the house is the staff get to know the students. After a couple of years, the students get to know the staff. They can better meet their needs.”

Arnold said there is flexibility if a student needs to change their house.

Channing Burke and his son Aaron were leaving TMMS on Tuesday with mixed thoughts on the school’s structure.

“I like the school,” Burke said. “It’s unfortunate that the stuff all happened, but in my case I think it’s going to be a good thing for the kids. My only concern is them keeping kids in housing.”

He said his concern stems from students mingling in high school and college. Burke said he feels like it would be best to prepare the middle schoolers for that now.

He said overall he likes the idea of students being in one middle school and one high school together, but he’s worried about the merger of sports. His son plays soccer and basketball.

“There are some kids that won’t be able to play because they can only have so many teams,” he said. “The other is having the competition locally.”

Dani Hayes attended FDMS last year and is excited about her new orchestra classroom and the middle school’s library. She said she’s happy because now she can attend school with her friends from DHMS. Her mother, Louisa Cryan, said she feels positive about the consolidation plan.

“I don’t have concerns because I think the district is doing the best they can in a not great situation,” she said. “So I’m excited to see how they how things go.”

David Sheakley taught Tlingit at TMHS and is now teaching the language at TMMS. During Tuesday’s tour he was still prepping his classroom for the first day of school. He met with parents and explained his approach to creating a comfortable learning environment.

“When students learn the language in a home environment then they feel comfortable enough to take that language home in their home environment,” Sheakley said. “So if I try to have this as comfortable as a home, then that connection to learning and being in home, they can take it with them, and hopefully they’re more likely to use the language at home versus only in classes.”

There may be more space for lockers and the lunch common area compared to DHMS and FDMS. However, Sheakley said, TMMS teachers aren’t sure just how many students will be in each class until school begins on Thursday morning.

“Classrooms are really, really tight for fitting in enough desks and chairs and stuff for each class,” Sheakley said.

The school district’s administrative offices moved to TMMS this school year, with some staff in the upstairs office suite. The public entrance to the district office is located through the lower front “purple wing” and is a separate entrance from the middle school. This means one wing previously used for classroom space is no longer available.

Sheakley said as a team and a staff, TMMS is committed to creating a new school.

“Since it’s a new school there are things that we’re being conscious of that we’re going to try to integrate for the first time that may be different from Dzantik’i Heeni or Floyd Dryden,” he said. “We’re really trying to make it kind of unique and it is going to stick for the years to come.”

A second TMMS open house will be held from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Aug. 22. At that open house students will have their class schedules, and parents will be able to meet with their teachers one-on-one and have a more in-depth opportunity to ask questions.

• Contact Jasz Garrett at jasz.garrett@juneauempire.com or (907) 723-9356.