(4)


 I think we have that one covered.

6. And the next question was tell me about the history of your school. I think

 we have covered a little bit of that but why particularly this location

 or why did this come about, a little bit more about that?

Diedeman: "Well there were several uh locations considered but this one turned

 out to be the most reasonable, really there were more acres available here

 and uh I'm sure the price was better than some of the other locations. And

 it was in a highly congested area at that time."

Jean: Now you have the uh open space concept and I know Ft. Clarke was built with

 that concept in mind also, was that your choice or was that just a fad at the

 time or how did that come about?

Diedeman: "Uh everything that we had read, it seemed like the open concept

 would really facilitate the kind of program we were going to try to do, uh

 the teaming thing. I think it was a little bit on the experimental basis too

 because of course Mebane is the finger type construction with the self-contained.

 I think"it might have been sorta on the county's part anyway to see which was

 going to facilitate the middle school best. Uh we were ready to give it a try."

Jean: Have you been satisfied with the open concept?

Diedeman: "I love it. (emphatic and real fee ling) I really do. I, you know it

 is funny the first year, it takes some getting used to, not only by kids

 but by teachers. Kids adapted a lot quicker than the rest of them. But

 I really believe if the second year had been like the first we all would have been

 looking for something else to do. It was a rough year. The full scale

 integration, we were trying something really new and different in a rural

 setting. A lot of the folks in town weren't really familiar with it and

 they just didn't know too much about it. Uh we didn't know a whole lot

 more to tell them. There hadn't been a lot done in middle school at that

 time, as far as work and operating."