European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 12, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday april 12 2007 stars and stripes Page 3 e closings near Many reflect Giessen students staff Cope in final Days by Kevin Dougherty stars and stripes Giessen Germany in the classrooms and lock Elined hallways nothing indicates the end is near with report cards coming and the 200607 school year enter ing the final Quarter academics remain the focus at Giessen american school but this year is unlike any other because the us military is leaving Giessen schools and All and so understandably teachers and students Are starting to Wax nostalgically i know every Little Nook and cranny of this place said teacher Oweida Cole a 20year school Veteran of Giessen i could really get melodramatic As the time gets closer but i do realize its time the Giessen military Community which includes Friedberg Butzbach and bad nauheim is dissolving As part of the restructuring plan for us forces in Europe by the end of summer Only a Small Aretak r photo by Kevin and stripes above in two Short months Giessen school will shut its doors for Good the closure is part of the ongoing transformation Effort by the army to help people track where fellow classmates and faculty Are going school librarian Jan Jensen posted a map of the United states and other locations with the heading where Are you going below students read in the Library in the final weeks before Giessen closing world War ii on the site and there were occasional protests by the German Green party a couple of teachers thought that was probably a Blessing Given the area was forested and environmental shut it h All of us Are going Down in addition to Giessen High 7 same thing through the schools Are Clos ing in London and Livorno Italy As Well As a couple of primary schools recently Sev eral Giessen High school teachers and Stu dents talked about their school and its pending closure much of the discussions occurred in the Library where school Memorabilia is on display and a map made of construction paper charts everyone future Home it kind of helps the students and teachers who Are in denial librarian Jan Jensen said of her Effort to Honor the school one exhibit included old news paper articles chronicling the Early years the facility originally just a High school was opened in the fall of 1985 during construction work Crews found a 250pound bomb left Over from Wien we All leave we wont have the Opportunity to come Back w pc Brown clarification the headline on a March 22 Story should have stated that the Dod was looking into re ports that some my pay person Al accounts were compromised the defense finance and accounting services my pay sys tem itself was not hacked n construction Ellen Shee Han an English teacher who has spent More than 20 years at the school Calls the Campus the pret Tiest in Dodd Seu rope Sheehan Cole and music teacher Eldon Kirkhum talked fondly of its appearance purple rhododendrons and Redan Dwhite fairytale Mush rooms that pop up every fall i love this place Cole said As the conversation move from at tributes to tributes she and her colleagues noted that students have responded Well to the situation which was further complicated by moms and dads deployed to Iraq until a few months ago they just carried on did their Job Kirkhum said they held their Heads High an hour later pc Brown was sitting in the Library his head tilted Back hey he said turning to Fel Low students Sasha Curry and cd Battle that was my soccer Jersey my freshman year Jensen the librarian spent months scrounging around for athletic jerseys from Petite gym Nastic outfits to oversize football jerseys they now Dangle their Griffin Mascot apparent from Metal clothes hangers wedged into the ceiling panels Curry a Junior found Browns revelation Amus ing which led to some Good natured teasing All Normal stuff for teens we fight like a family she said we act like a fam ily we have drama like a family but we Are still fam ily a member of the family will be returning june 8 to deliver the main graduation speech Ladell Scott who was in Browns and Battles shoes a decade ago has made it big in the pharmaceutical world those ties to the past or at least the possibility of reconnecting to it Are what students and teach ers say they will miss the most All of us Are going through the same thing Brown said when we All leave we wont have the Opportunity to come Back email Kevin Dougherty lockers Are important meeting Points for High school students and Sasha Curry left cd Battle Center and pc Brown Are certainly no different As they congregate around Sasha locker Livorno to Honor past present with event by Kent Harris stars and stripes Camp Darby Italy Livorno High school is Down to its final Days the school which opened in the 1950s will hold its last classes on june 11 four seniors Are to graduate on june 8 but before that students and staff will join alumni in a Farewell ceremony on May 11 my goal for the whole closing ceremony is to keep it Stu Den planned and Stude torches rated said principal Cathy Magni weve had two years to plan this because we thought we were going to close last year with a Small enrolment 17 students this year the High school was kept open another year after parents and the Mili tary command persuaded the department of defense dependents school Europe to allow families More time to consider options choices boiled Down to essentially those offered to parents at Lon Don Central in England which closes in june attend an International this Case in Flo rence or Homeschool Magni said the school has been working with the local command and the Florence school to arrange for daily transportation for affected students the base still will have a school for students from kindergarten through eighth Grade Livorno High school teachers also have decisions to make there All undergoing stress As Well not knowing where there going Magni said but the Energy level and enthusiasm remains High that consistent with the theme the school has adopted for the year its not Over till the Lions Roar alumni and friends of the school Are invited to the May 11 ceremony scheduled for 10 am in the Post theater students will read reflections submitted by alumni and staff members As part of the ceremony Dave Gangsei who served two stints As school principal will travel from the states to serve As graduation speaker Magni said the school wants to celebrate current students As Well As Honor those from the past its not just the current Stu dents and teachers she said this school has a Long proud his tory so we want to go out with dig nity email Kent Harris at