After its opening in 1979, South Lakes struggled to prove itself as an academically-driven school rather than a sports-minded powerhouse.

In its early stages, South Lakes had dividers instead of walls that failed to muffle other classroom noises and hallway distractions. Grade levels were separated into four quadrants, now known as sub schools, as well as four different cafeterias. Each quadrant was painted a different color: freshmen were green, sophomores were blue, juniors were yellow and seniors were orange. Hence, the “Class Color Day” colors for homecoming week were born.

“The biggest challenge when I first started teaching at South Lakes was the building itself,” English teacher Kathleen Schenker said. “There were no doors and the walls were temporary structures that students had drilled holes in to pass pencils and notes from one room to another. In one of my classrooms, students who were multitaskers could hear two other English classrooms as well as a Spanish and German classroom. I always told them that if they were multitaskers, they could finish ninth grade with amazing linguistic skills.”

In 2006, South Lakes underwent a $55 million renovation that replaced the dividers with walls, added new technology such as smart boards, and created one main cafeteria instead of four. Construction ended before the 2008-2009 school year began.

“The renovation and additions are obviously new and we are preparing for another addition in the near future as our projected enrollment shows continued growth,” Principal Kim Retzer said. “Physically, the facilities are very different with computer labs, a culinary arts program, doors and no ramps. [On the other hand], what [remains] the same is that we are a community school; the feeling that once you are a Seahawk, you are always a Seahawk remains true.”

French teacher Pam Green recalls the layout of the original language hallway.

“I came here in the late 1980s to observe Madame von Isakovics for the day,” Green said. “A student assistant led me from the office through several connecting doors to the second floor. The building was a bit like a labyrinth, and very dark. The French classroom was an L-shaped place sandwiched in next to the locker bay, connecting to a bookroom. You can imagine the noise when everyone went to their lockers during lunch.”

Through the years, people have grown increasingly involved with many clubs and school spirit. Organizations such as Model UN, Speech, and Debate have recently gained popularity among students.

“I have seen tremendous growth in our extracurricular activities, both in participation and in the level of competition for those groups that compete,” Retzer said. “JROTC is [an] area where we have seen tremendous growth. When the program here started, we struggled for years to get 100 kids to participate. Now, we consistently have over 150 students every year. The students in that program do a tremendous amount in the community and are recognized for their great accomplishments in competitions. For example, they were invited to participate in the New York City Veterans Day parade on Nov. 11, what an honor.”

Retzer has many goals that she hopes to achieve in the near future. With the rise of social media, new technology will soon be adopted in the classroom.

“Like everyone, I would love for more parking,” Retzer said. “I would also like to see us infuse responsible use of technology into everyday instruction. I also hope that we can add more elective options in the next couple of years.”

Even though South Lakes endured external and internal changes, student and faculty school pride has remained the same.

“One consistent strength we have here is our students,” Schenker said. “Over these fifteen years, they have impressed me with their generosity, spirit, courage and strength. I have also never worked with such a great group of colleagues. South Lakes teachers truly care about their students and their generosity towards them is remarkable.”

Liz Knapp’s words say it best: “South Lakes, home of the Seahawks and proud of it.”