Kaiserslautern MS (formerly JHS) History
Opened: 1968
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In 1950, a high school was established in Kaiserslautern. This school was for all students in seventh through twelfth grade. According to the ’88 yearbook, the original school had “the Principal's office in the bedroom, the English classes in the living room, and German taught in the kitchen. Kaiserslautern School System made history in 1952 in a converted apartment building across the street from the present school location. The Americans had just taken over the Western area from the French.”
In October 1968, the seventh and eighth grades formed an independent junior high school, with Mr. John Billington as principal. He remained principal through the 1989-90 school year. Prior to this time the junior high was part of the high school, with one administration for the junior and senior high schools. The school was originally opened as Kaiserslautern American Junior High School and was part of the Kaiserslautern school district. The junior high school occupied three buildings, which were part of the larger school complex of an elementary school, the junior high, and a high school.
When the junior high became an independent school in 1968 the enrollment was about 350 students with a faculty of thirty. The assistant principal was Richard Dickinson. Student activities included student council, National Honor Society, Future Homemakers of America, band, science club, newspaper, Girls Athletic Association (GAA), and boys’ basketball. The first yearbook, The Invader, was published for the 1968-69 school year. There wasn’t a yearbook for the 1969-70 school year.
The first newspaper, Current Invasions, began to be published by the 1970-71 school year. The assistant principal was Ray Brodt. The junior high now had its own dances, the drama department was established, and the Red Cross Club prepared packages for a local orphanage. The school had basketball and wrestling teams for boys and cheerleaders for girls. Females participated in intramural sports through the GAA. By the 1971-72 school year, the enrollment had increased to over 460 students. The school colors were gold and black, and the mascot was the Invader. The mascot and colors were chosen in the early ’70s by a contest sponsored by the Student Council. According to the ’86 yearbook, “At the time the junior high did not want to be directly associated with the high school, but the title ‘Invaders’ was chosen because it rhymed with ‘Raiders’”. Raiders was the high school mascot. The colors were chosen by a majority vote of the student body. Another assistant principal in the ’70s was Mr. Mara.
For the 1981-82 school year, there were 500 students in grades seven and eight. Mr. Umsted was the assistant principal that year, followed by Venita Stovall. In the ’80s, students took field trips to Vienna, Hinterbrand Lodge, Strasbourg, and Nuremberg. Students also could participate in ski weeks and cultural events such as the Christkindl Markt in Kaiserslautern. The school’s arts program continued to grow, with three band levels, guitar classes, and a choir.
Richard Nielsen became the second principal for the junior high beginning the 1989-90 school year. Ms. Stovall continued as the assistant principal. They remained the administrators through the 1995-96 school year. Kaiserslautern American Junior High became Kaiserslautern Middle School for the 1991-92 school year. The name of the newspaper was changed to Kaiser Kazzette. The following year the sixth grade was added to the middle school and the enrollment was over 550 students. New student activities in the nineties included clubs for Dungeons and Dragons, Future Business Leaders of America, ecology, and Young Astronauts. Other extracurricular activities were Spelling Bee; Geography Bee; the choir, Black Diamonds; a swim team; Math Olympiads; the Science Fair; and a variety of intramural sports. JROTC was added to the curriculum during the 1992-93 school year.
Mr. Joel Zuckerman was the principal for the 1995-96 school year followed the next year by Dr. Dennis McGuane. Margarita Rower was the assistant principal for both principals. McGuane and Rower were at the school through the 1998-99 school year. New programs included Red Ribbon Week, Youth 2 Youth, Technology Education, and a runner’s club.
In the first decade of the new millennium the principal was Charles Lockwood, with Sue Albright as the assistant principal. The school colors were now red and black, and the school mascot was the Invader. Students now participated in the Technology Leadership Corps (TLC) and Caring for Children with Cancer Club (CCCC). The CCCC made lab quilts for kids receiving chemotherapy at local hospitals. This club later became the quilting club. A fun activity among the advisories was Wacky Olympics. These activities were designed as competitions between the groups in fun events.
Mr. Meyer was the principal for the 2004-05 year, with Ms. Albright continuing as the assistant principal. When Susan Hargis became the principal for the 2007-08 school year there were about 500 students in the middle school. The school highlighted different cultures in the school by having an Asian-Pacific Dance Group and holding several events during Black History Month. Students participated in the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium and the National History Day Competition. Additionally, the sixth grade learned about nutrition through a partnership between the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) and Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). The next year Kaiserslautern American Middle School received national recognition for health education from the American Association for Health Education. Ms. Dorothy Goff Gould, a teacher at the middle school, was recognized as the 2009 DoDEA Teacher of the Year.
Dr. Susan Paul became the principal for the 2018-19 school year and remained as principal through the 2022-23 school year. Her assistant was Mr. Pedro Soto, Jr, with Dr. Davis as an additional assistant for 2020–2022.
For the 2022-23 year there were 650 students enrolled in grades six through eight.
Currently, the school mascot is the Knight, and the colors are red and black. The clubs available to students include a Walk, Run and Jog club; a dance club; and intramurals. For the 2023-24 school year the principal was Mr. Jason James, and the assistant was Ms. Martina D’Angelo.
Information from DoD School Information Guides, school yearbooks and the DoDEA School website