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Shenandoah Middle School History
It all began with two rows of five portables each in the mid 1920s. It was a dream
come true for then Superintendent Charles Fisher who had wanted to find the perfect
place to open a school that would help relieve the overcrowded junior high schools
of the Southwest Miami area. He found the perfect spot for his dream school on S.W.
10th Street and 21st Avenue. By early 1926, Shenandoah had its first principal,
Miss Alice MacVicar, and held its first assembly in February of 1926 inside a
white tent. It was a few weeks later that the entire school formed a human line
around the architects' outline of the new school. Each child had a part in the
digging of the foundation, and in September of 1926, school was started in this
brand-new building with more than 700 students.
With the opening of the new school came Shenandoah's motto, "Courage, Courtesy,
and Culture, which was established by Miss MacVicar. Courage represents the foundation
of a strong, self-reliant character. Courtesy represents consideration for others,
and Culture represents enriching our lives to the fullest extent. For more than
75 years, our motto has drawn great inspiration and encouragement from Shenandoah's
student body and faculty.
As time progressed and the city grew, Shenandoah's population increased creating
a need for a new, state of the art building. By 1940, land was purchased on 19th
Street and 19th Avenue, construction workers were hired with the help of the Works
Progress Administration (WPA), and the construction began. Students were then moved
in as soon as it was completed. Shenandoah became of the most modern and well-equipped
schools in the South. Meanwhile, the "old" building became Shenandoah Elementary.
On December 11, 1942, the beautiful new building was formally dedicated with great
fanfare. Since then, the school has been slightly modified with the addition of
an auditorium, locker rooms for physical education, and air conditioning. An original
walkway is no longer in existence since the library was expanded, as was the main
office. A pond (with fish and everything!) which was in the original patio, was covered
up in the 1970s. Today, with about 1500 students, we have added a new building and
converted our patio into a courtyard. In 2002, students, faculty, and community
members further beautified our building by donating plants for a new landscape. That
same year, the Student Council donated a fountain in honor of the victims of the
September 11 tragedy, which now sits between both buildings. We also currently house
Shenandoah Elementary's Pre-K and Kindergarten in our backyard.
Shenandoah Middle School has always possessed a pedigree and backstory dedicated
to helping people and preparing children to be productive and effective members
of society. As this school continues to develop and mature, our long pageantry of
student excellence, teacher dedication and community involvement will progress,
ensuring that the basic objectives and principles upon which this institution was
founded upon are preserved.
Come back soon for an upcoming gallery of Shenandoah Middle School pictures!
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