Farewell To Bricks And Mortarboard Post Falls Students Reluctant To Give Up The Wall

Twelve years of Post Falls High School history is displayed on a brick wall in Tim Shepperd’s classroom.

It shows Brice Williams going off to the Air Force Academy in 1991. It marks the reign of Al Mack, a 1998 graduate, as a three-time state wrestling champion. And it exhibits the pain felt in 1995 when popular student and star runner Christina Finney died a week before her graduation.

Shepperd is a high school French teacher and has used the same classroom for 26 years. In 1989, the French club was trying to think of ways to raise money. Shepperd jokingly suggested “selling” bricks to students to decorate. At the end of the year, three students showed up with $10 bills, ready to purchase the first bricks.

Shepperd painted the bricks black, then gave the students silver and gold markers, in honor of his alma mater, the University of Idaho. They used the pens artistically, bringing out their personalities, hopes and dreams.

Chris Garrison’s brick shows a snowboarder standing on one hand, the other hand holding his board. Holly Gattung, a competitive ice skater, drew her name and an ice skate. Brother and sister Mike and Jennifer Nutt shared a brick, though they graduated in different years.

“They try to put something that reflects themselves,” Shepperd said.

In all, 204 bricks were purchased and decorated, the money used for French books, movies and posters.

But the future of the wall is uncertain.

School ended Friday, and next year the Post Falls School District faces big changes. The current high school will become the middle school and the middle school will become a fourth elementary.

High schoolers will be the first to attend classes in a brand-new $18million school built on Poleline Road.

Shepperd anticipates a new classroom, furniture and equipment, but wonders what will become of the wall depicting so much school and community history.

“No decisions have been made,” said Jerry Keane, the district’s assistant superintendent. “We certainly value our history. On the other hand, I don’t know how the middle school will handle that.”

Students who have spent time in Shepperd’s classroom are certain about what they would like to see happen.

“This wall has a lot of history,” said Shawn Noble, who will be a senior in the fall. “It’s worth saving. We’re going to chain ourselves to the wall.”

“There’s, like, so much Post Falls history in this,” said Garrison, who also will be a senior. To paint over it, “would be a waste,” he said.

On Thursday, they gathered in Shepperd’s room to reminisce before leaving to begin summer vacation. They pointed out the four black bricks reserved for friends of Finney’s, but never painted because returning to school was too painful.

They pointed out the bricks of the Wallace brothers - Jeremy, Andrew and Matt. And they admired the artistry of Jeff Diteman, a 1998 graduate who decorated his brick painstakingly, with French expressions and the symbol of his band, Seraphim Wake.

“You could stare at this wall for hours and not get bored,” Garrison said.

“I’ve spent a lot of time in this room,” Noble said.

But the students are looking forward to the new school, built with a bond that passed by one vote in March 1998. At 195,000 square feet, it will be 83 percent bigger than their current overcrowded high school. The lunchroom will seat 600 students, compared to 150. The number of science labs will rise from 12 to 33. And the library is double the size of the current high school’s.

“We’re the first senior class so that school is like ours,” said John Petrilla.

“I think it’s gonna be great,” said Adam Durflinger, who will be a sophomore. “This is way overcrowded. You can’t walk down the halls without running into somebody.”