The Beginning

This story starts in 1967 when the final blueprints were laid down for Brier Junior High. It would cost roughly $2,086,000 USD (that’s $18,537,170.30 in today’s money). The company that built our school was Brazier Construction. In the fall of 1969, construction was finished. The 6th Grade class of Hilltop Elementary School was moved to Brier Jr. High and would become the 7th grade class of 1969-1970. The 8th Graders were moved in the fall of 1969 and the school was planned to have a total of 924 students, that’s why most classrooms have flexible and moving walls, to adapt to a large number of students.

Photo Courtesy of Alex Morrison

Money Troubles

Due to budget cuts, most 7th graders were moved back to Hilltop Elementary because Brier Jr. High had no desks, small closet space in most rooms, along with chalkboards . Another reason for seventh graders moving back to Hilltop Elementary was because it was a beautiful school with all amenities. Brier Jr. High teachers often found themselves “floating,” or teaching in various classrooms around the school, because of short-staffing. In order to raise funds and keep the school alive, the student body of 1971 held several fundraising events, the one that made the most money was selling “The world’s finest chocolate”  which made $1,300 ($9,527.17 in today’s money). Fundraisers are what kept our school alive.

The Mascot

Our original mascot was “The Braves” and it was a photo of a Native-American Chief, pictured below

It was changed to “The Bulldogs” after a vote throughout the entire school in 1991 that was started by three 8th Grade students, Ryan Stamaz (ASB president), Sarah Rehm, and Diane Phan. They knew they had to change it when they were shopping at the student merchandise store. It was then they realized how degrading their mascot was. The actual mascot was just a serious-looking Chief but sillier versions were uncomfortable.  For example, there was one of a Native-American Chief holding a tomahawk and with a big nose that was put in the yearbook and on ID cards. After they were done brainstorming names, the mascot names were narrowed down to:

*Tornados

*Huskys

*Braves

*Eagles

*Leopards

*Bears

*Hurricanes

*Tigers

*Bobcats

*Bulldogs

And that is why we now have our beloved Bulldog,

Photo Courtesy Of: Cameron Cralle

Tech At Brier Junior High

When BJH first opened we had no computers; students did everything without them. Eventually, they got a CD-ROM, 7 IBM’s, and a network set up in the conference room in the library, now known as the “Dennis Myers Conference Room” where Journalism now films their announcements. Later that year, BJH got 17 more IBM’s, overhead projectors, a sound system, and memory on all of the computers that were put into classrooms.

Television sets were put in every classroom, on one condition – all students had to watch “Channel 1” the teen news channel every day.

Pictured below is the library after we had gotten all of our new tech set up in the Library.

Photos courtesy of The BTMS History Book

The BTMS Totem Pole

Finally, the totem pole is the only thing that is left from our previous mascot. Close to the end of the school year in 1972, Brier Junior High held a ceremony dedicating a new totem pole to match our mascot. The students of Mr. Dagg, the Arts & Crafts teacher, spent plenty of hours on this totem pole, carving, painting, and adding finishing touches. The totem pole now sits by our front office (pictured below)

Photo Courtesy Of: Alex Morrison