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Wednesday, June 27th, 2012 1937 - 2012 · Celebrating 75 Years Orono Weekly Times - 5 CLARKE Continued from front and Orono had neither. "We were confident Newcastle would grow faster," Paterson stated. The Orono members on the Board were Carlos Tamblyn who was Chairman in 1962, and Bill Carmen. "We got `er built, and we are very fortunate to have a facility like that in our area," Paterson said. "It has turned out some very good students who have been a real asset to our area." Though the cost of the school was estimated to be $1 million at the opening, it was discovered that $300,000 from the building fund had been loaned to the general fund in error and the actual cost of the new school was $652,000. Fourteen years later enrolment had almost doubled in size and the school was utilizing 11 portables to accommodate their 585 students. Plans were made to build an addition to the school so it could accommodate 800 students, and construction on the $1,347,300 addition (exclusive of architectural fees, furniture, equipment and hardware) began in 1976 to be ready for September 1976. Bad weather and difficulty with getting materials delayed the project so that the move was delayed until May 1977. Both of Clarington's Ward 4 councillors; Regional Councillor Willie Woo and Local Councillor Wendy Partner are graduates of Clarke High School. Partner who went to Clarke in the mid 1960s credits her physical education teacher; Mrs. Rita Carleson for making her a stronger person. "She treated us like we were her kids, she understood us," Partner said of Carleson. "She was my mentor." They had some great dances at the school when she was there, Partners says, and sock hops after school on Fridays. She also remembers the great glee club and great drama club under Mr. Amesbury and performing Shakespeare in assemblies. Partner also recalls trying to call the Beatles from the pay phone at the school with $20 worth of quarters. "I was going to tell P a u l Clarke High School located at 3425 Highway 35/115, which was built in 1962 between Orono and Newcastle is holding a 50th anniversary celebration on July 6 & 7. McCartney that I loved him," Partner stated. For Willie Woo who attended Clarke in the late 1960s, High School was all about meeting new people from the other schools. "We had a good time," Woo said. "It was a tight knit school." Students looked up to their teachers as mentors, and good relationships were formed, according to Woo. He also learned a tough lesson when he was fooling around and didn't see Vice Principal S. B. Rutherford coming with the yard stick which he got across the knuckles. "I deserved what I got, and I'm not scarred," Woo says of the punishment he received. Corporal punishment is no longer permitted in our schools, and while Clarke, due to its smaller size cannot offer all the courses available at larger schools, Abraham is convinced that, "If you are looking for straight academics, Clarke is a very good school." Perhaps a testament to Clarke's academic standards and atmosphere is the number of teachers working at the school today who are themselves graduates of Clarke. These staff members include: Mellissa Coleville, Donna Loster (Vanhaverbeeke) Michelle Walters, Mellissa Hoad (Morton), Peter Willems and Roger Stere. A volunteer committee was formed two years ago to begin work on a celebration event to mark Clarke High School's 50th anniversary. They have planned a full roster of celebration activities for the weekend of July 6 and 7 at the school beginning with registration and meet and greet from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, and ending with a dance at the Orono Arena on Saturday night. An official opening ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. on Saturday, with Dr. Dawn Good (Witherspoon) daughter of CLARKE see page 7