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75th Anniversary
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Anniversary Posts 1-15
- 1: Monroe Academy: Henrietta’s First Famous School
- 2: First Schools: Uphill, Barefoot, Both Ways
- 3: 1938: Voters Reject Creation of Rush-Henrietta Central School District
- 4: Schoolhouse Records Give Glimpse of Life 100 Years Ago
- 5: 1946: Given Second Chance, Voters Embrace New District
- 6: A Different Time: When Rush Had More Kids Than Henrietta
- 7: Choosing a Mascot: Why We're Not the Royal Falcons
- 8: Meet the Board: Rush-Henrietta’s Original Fab Five
- 9: Late 1940s: The Beginning of a Population Explosion
- 10: Breaking Ground: Rush-Henrietta’s First New School
- 11: 1952: R-H’s First New School a ‘Splendid Dream’
- 12: First Meeting of the New Board of Education
- 13: 1959 R-H Grad Still Gets on the Bus Every Day
- 14: Humble Beginnings: Two School Buses to Start
- 15: 1954: Sudden Need for a Second New School
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Anniversary Posts 16-30
- 16: 1954-1955: Two Votes for a Second School
- 17: The Story of Gillette Elementary School
- 18: 1950s: Building a New School Each Year
- 19: 1957: Residents Press Pause, Reject Two New Schools
- 20: 1958: Fourth New School Helps District Keep Pace
- 21: 1950s: Curious Visitors Flock to New R-H School
- 22: Bill Farrell: ‘Architect of the R-H Sports Program’
- 23: 1961: Rush-Henrietta Gets a Junior High School
- 24: 1963: A New School Called Wedgewood
- 25: Elmer Gordon: A Rush-Henrietta Trailblazer
- 26: Remembering Jack Gaffney
- 27: Jack Gaffney's Incredible Connections to Our R-H Past
- 28: Remembering Wilma Jean Milhouse
- 29: 1964: West Henrietta Gets Its First New School
- 30: 1965: Fyle Elementary Named to Honor Respected Teacher
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Anniversary Posts 31-45
- 31: R-H Family History Revealed in Historic Records
- 32: Dr. John W. Parker: Devoted to District’s Early Success
- 33: 1966: Amidst Housing Boom, R-H Opens Sherman Elementary
- 34: 1968: Rush-Henrietta Opens Its First High School
- 35: Richard TenHaken: Superintendent Who Looked Controversy in the Eye
- 36: 1970: Vollmer Becomes R-H’s Last New School
- 37: The Dome Arena: R-H and Other Legends
- 38: The Lion in the Room - Senior High School Pride
- 39: Artists in Residence
- 40: Providing an Even Start
- 41: Paul McKee: Humility Meets Great Success
- 42: Raymond Delaney Had ‘Unshakeable Belief’ in Public Education
- 43: Roger Eckers Strikes Up the Band
- 44: 1982: R-H Denies West Brighton Request to Secede
- 45: George DesMarteau: One - Make That Two - of a Kind
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Anniversary Posts 46-60
- 46: Recognizing 75 Years of Music Excellence
- 47: Senior High School Mural Depicts 'Community of School'
- 48: 2006: Rush-Henrietta Alumni Council Established
- 49: A Bird's-Eye View of 1951
- 50: 1945: Preparing for the First Day of School
- 51: R-H is Where ‘The Rock’ Calls Home
- 52: 1974: Rush-Henrietta Takes to the Airwaves
- 53: Glory Years of WRHR: A Student’s Perspective
- 54: 1969: R-H a Trailblazer in Embracing Student Voice
- 55: 1975: Rush-Henrietta’s High School Reaches Capacity
- 56: 1975 to 1986: A Decade of Dual High Schools
- 57: 1987: New High School Name Helps Community Heal
- 58: How We Became the Royal Comets
- 59: Extracurricular Highlights
- 60: Spotlight on Bob Sagan, Act I
- 61: Spotlight on Bob Sagan, Act II
- 62: 1991: R-H Hires First New Superintendent in 20 Years
- 63: Werner Kleemann: More Than a Sports Legend
- 64: 2000: R-H Loses ‘Wonderful Mentor’
- 65: 2000: R-H Legend Returns to Stabilize High School
- 66: A Surprise Boost for Student Athletes and Musicians
- 67: Adventures of Ping: Restoring a One-of-a-Kind Painting
- 68: Dr. Ken Graham: Two Decades of Strong Leadership
- 69: R-H’s History of Putting Safety First
- 70: Girls Basketball Team Becomes Stuff of Legends
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Anniversary Posts 1-15
- Did You Know?
- Distinguished Alumni
- First Administrators
- Norm Miller: Portrait of a Rush-Henrietta Life Well Lived
- School Namesakes
- Superintendents
- Who Was Elmer Gordon?
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75th Anniversary
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- District Overview
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- District Progress Update
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- COVID-19 Reopening Summary
R-H is Where ‘The Rock’ Calls Home
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Hollywood megastar Dwayne Johnson is known as "The Rock," but that nickname has a different meaning around these parts.
Tucked away at Roth Junior High School, there is a boulder that continues to put smiles on the faces of many people who have lived and attended classes in the Rush-Henrietta Central School District.
The Rock, as it is both fondly and straightforwardly called, once was part of the farmer's field where the junior high school now stands. The land originally belonged to Clark Stone, who sold 65 acres to the fledgling district in 1949 for a sum not to exceed $15,000. In retrospect, we think that was a real bargain! Known in the district’s early days as Rush-Henrietta Central School, the building was our district's first new school. It opened with great fanfare in 1951, serving all students in the district from grades K-12.
For decades, students who attended school there would paint the massive rock with special or seasonal messages. “When I was a student, upperclassmen painted their graduation year on it,” recalls Terry Mathews-DeSant, Class of 1955. When the late Joe Bellanca, a member of the Class of 1965, would talk about The Rock, his eyes would light up with excitement. One day, he wondered aloud: Is The Rock getting smaller, the inevitable result of years of exposure to the elements? “Or,” he mused, “did we just get bigger and grow up?”
While The Rock isn't painted anymore these days - at least not without permission from the district - its legacy is strong. Memories come flooding back when alumni are asked about The Rock. Many speak of it with a sense of reverence. The Class of 1968 asked the district if it could paint The Rock as part of its 50th class reunion celebration in 2018. This story features photos of that special occasion.
Per a representative from the Class of 1968, shown in the bottom row are Norm Brunner, Dale Rowe, Al Romeo, Janet Manfre, Leyan Henry, Shirley Phillips, Charlene Blum, Janice Brown, Joy DeNoto, and Laurie Woodworth. In the top row are Diana Glaser, Linda Erwin, Dan Beck, Dave Miller, Marilyn Knowles, Ron Abbot, Jack Guntrum, Donna Mellis, Dave Abeel, Anne Contant, and Dave Hunt.
Long live The Rock - both versions, but especially ours - and the precious memories it has provided for so many R-H graduates.[Post 51] #75Posts75YearsClick the "i" in the upper left corner of the photos below for more information.
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