As Beverley Manor Middle School prepares to close, the community had a chance to say goodbye

STAUNTON — Flipping through pages of a yearbook, Paige Kite was physically in 2024, standing in the Beverley Manor Middle School library Thursday night, but her mind was 35 years in the past as she took a stroll down memory lane. Kite was looking at a 1989-90 yearbook, not only the first year the school was open, but her first year as a middle school student. Kite was part of the school's first sixth-grade class.

As she looked at the book, she was reminded that her original surname, Pitsenberger, isn't easy to spell. In fact, the yearbook staff had misspelled it "Pitsenbarger" twice on the same page. All she could do was laugh.

Kite was among the many people who were reminiscing Thursday during a celebration of Beverley Manor Middle School, which will be closing at the end of the academic year. This was a chance for former and current students and teachers, as well as the community, to stop in one more time and say goodbye.

"It just felt really exciting because everything was new," Kite said of that first year. "But it's hard to remember much. I was, what, 11? You feel a little bit of ownership, like, yeah, I was the first sixth-grade class."

With Riverheads and Buffalo Gap middle schools opening in the fall, this is the last hurrah for Beverley Manor, which draws students from both attendance zones. While it won't be serving students any longer, the building will remain part of Augusta County Public Schools. Superintendent Eric Bond, who was at the event Thursday, said the building would be used for some central office staff to alleviate overcrowding and for professional development.

When Beverley Manor Middle opened it was the third middle school in Augusta County. According to a story in The News Leader in 1988, it cost $5.1 million and completed Augusta County School's goal of "offering a middle school experience to every sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grader in the county."

Eventually, to relieve some overcrowding at Stewart and Stuarts Draft, Wilson Middle School opened in 2006. Now, this fall with Riverheads and Gap opening, there will be five middle schools to match the five high schools in Augusta County.

Glen Patterson opened Beverley Manor in 1989 as its first principal. He also opened Stewart Middle School as its first principal in 1980. That same story in The News Leader said central office staff called him "the guru of middle school."

Patterson and his first assistant principal at Beverley Manor, Bill Lobb, were touring the school Thursday.

"We had kids from Buffalo Gap and kids from Riverheads," Lobb said. "They all came together and that caused a little friction sometimes."

Patterson said that friction lessened as time went on.

"They quit throwing rocks at each others' buses, anyway," he joked. "But we didn't have any major problems."

In the school's cafeteria Thursday, there were refreshments available, including three different cakes — one with the BMMS logo, one with the new Buffalo Gap Middle logo and one with the Riverheads Middle logo.

The walls of the hallway were lined with memories from the past 35 years the school has been open. There were Beverley Manor Middle School ornaments available to purchase, a photo booth, plus a chance to write down any memories people had about the school. Most of the memories shared were of special teachers or friends or classes they enjoyed. One was from a student who remembered punching a pinata, hitting the wall behind it and breaking their hand. So, not all great memories.

Scarlett Kiser has been teaching at Beverley Manor for 30 years, starting in 1994.

"I've grown up here," the seventh-grade history teacher said. "I was 24 years old when I got the job here. I was wet behind the ears, didn't know anything. I felt like I was one day ahead of the kids that first year."

When word started circulating that Beverley Manor would close after this year, it was a bittersweet feeling for Kiser. She knew it was probably a good thing for the kids, but she was going to miss this school where she spent her teaching career.

"I just felt like my heart wasn't into going anywhere else," Kiser said. "This is home ... I just thought, you know what, the writing is on the wall. I'm going to go out with the school."

After 30 years teaching, Kiser will retire after this year. She's only taught in two classrooms at BMMS, one for 15 years before moving across the hall for the next 15 years. She didn't want a new classroom in a new school next year. It just felt like the right time.

"If you think of the hours I've spent in those two rooms, more hours than at home," Kiser said. "Thirty years of meals in the BMMS cafeteria."

Asked her favorite meal, she paused to think for a few seconds.

"The spaghetti is pretty good," she said.

David and MJ Wisman both taught at Beverley Manor Middle, a husband and wife team who were back for a visit. David, who is now teaching at Wilson Middle, was at BMMS for 27 years. MJ taught at the school for 15 years.

"It was a family," MJ Wisman said. "It was honestly a family."

David Wisman agreed, saying that was the case from the administrators down. He recalled when his parents passed away how much support he got from everyone, including the administrators, during a difficult time. He said it was just a place he looked forward to coming to work every day.

Their daughter was born during the time they were both teaching at Beverley Manor and she eventually attended the school.

"It's kind of like moving out of the house you grew up in," David Wisman said about leaving BMMS. "There's always kind of a sentimental thing. There are a lot of memories. Walking around here and seeing people I worked with brings back a lot of memories. It's sad, although I understand the reason why."

Yvonne Howdyshell is the current principal at Beverley Manor Middle. Next year she'll be principal at Buffalo Gap Middle. In 2003, Howdyshell came to Beverley Manor as a teacher before becoming an assistant principal at the school. After serving as assistant principal at Clymore Elementary, she eventually came back in 2019 as principal at BMMS.

"There are so many people I've seen here (tonight) from the past, it's just sweet relationships," Howdyshell said. "A lot of shared time. It's really neat."

More: Convicted killer accused in Waynesboro stabbing gets $25,000 bond

More: Athlete of the week: Fort's Mooney goes from barely playing to top of tennis ladder

— Patrick Hite is The News Leader's education reporter. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Beverley Manor Middle prepares to close at the end of the school year