Giessen MS (formerly Giessen/"Giesbach" JHS) History
Open: 1971
Closed: 1994
Giessen Junior High School was referred to locally as “Giesbach”. This name was adopted as a way of representing students from Butzbach in addition to those from Giessen. The name “Giesbach” resulted from the fusion of the names of the towns Giessen and Butzbach. The Giessen military community housed kindergarten through 9th grade; students from 10th grade on were bused to Frankfurt High School. Butzbach, a significantly smaller military activity, was approximately thirty to forty-five minutes from Giessen and housed kindergarten through 6th grade of elementary school. Students were bused to Giessen for junior high—7th through 9th grades. Higher grades were bused to Frankfurt High School.
The school mascot was the Falcon and that was also the title of the yearbook. In the mid-seventies, the yearbook title was changed to Der Falke, the German translation for falcon. When Giessen became a middle school, they changed the mascot to the Panther and the yearbook became the Panther Tales.
During the 1971-72 school year the enrollment went from 150 students in grades seven through nine the previous year to over 350 students. The increase in enrollment was due to the addition of the students from Butzbach. The school principal was Warren R. Van Zee with vice principal Russell D. Gray, III. With the increase in enrollment the school was able to offer a wider variety of classes and additional activities for the students. The intermural program included flag football, volleyball, basketball, girls’ soccer and coed gymnastics. Additionally, the school had a ninth grade and a seven/eight grade traveling boys’ basketball team with school cheerleaders. The National Junior Honor Society became a fixture in the school as well as the Courtesy Patrol and Safety Patrol.
The enrollment continued to be between 300 and 380 students through the eighties. Mr. James Willis became the principal for the 1973-74 school year and remained in this position for three years. His assistants were Robert Miller (’73-’74) and Robert Seider (’74-’76). The next principal was Dave Bensen. Mr. Seider continued as assistant principal, and Dave Heath was a teaching assistant principal. During this time, students had the opportunities to travel to London and Paris, and the arts had become an integral part of the school. The music program now had two bands, and a chorus and drama presentations were offered each year. Students also began attending the Darmstadt Career Center for one quarter each year to attend various career classes.
For the 1981-82 school year, the Giessen American Junior High School had an enrollment of approximately 325 students in grades seven through nine. That year, the faculty included twenty classroom teachers, a counselor, reading improvement specialist, and a learning development specialist. The school nurse and psychologist were shared with the elementary school.
The junior high shared the post gymnasium and locker room with the military community. The school had a small, but well-equipped media center, a supply room, and both a teachers’ lounge and a teachers’ workroom. The facility also had specially designed rooms for industrial arts, human ecology, art, and business education. There weren’t any lunch facilities at the junior high school.
Giessen Junior High School became Giessen American Middle School in 1986 and had grades six through eight. The ninth grade was moved to the high school, and middle school concepts were put into place at the school. By the 1987-88 school year there were 325 students enrolled in the school. Doris Thorsen was the principal for the next six years, and her assistants included Marcia Hedges and Robert Britton and Education Program Manager Myra Markrant.
The middle school had a faculty of twenty teachers, a counselor, a reading improvement specialist, and learning development specialists. The school facility had a small media center, a supply room, a teachers’ lounge, and a teachers’ workroom. There were also specially equipped rooms for industrial arts, human ecology, art, and business.
The enrollment for the 1988-89 school year was about 400 students. By the 1993-94 school year the enrollment had dropped to just over 200 students. The next year the sixth grade went to the elementary school, and the seventh and eighth grade became part of the high school.
Information from DOD School information guides and school yearbooks