Kaleidoscope Academy in Appleton celebrates 100 years of historic school building. WTAQ
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) — A historic building in Appleton celebrated 100 years of educating students on Thursday night.
Once known as Roosevelt Junior High, Kaleidoscope Academy has gone through several transformations to become the school it is now.
Roosevelt Junior High opened its doors to 7-9 grade students in 1925.
A new addition in 1971 practically doubled the size of the school. In 1995 it became Roosevelt Middle School and shifted to include students in grades 7-8.
In 2007, Kaleidoscope Academy, a charter school for students in grades 6-8, began inside the Roosevelt Middle School building. Kaleidoscope adopted a project-based learning style, with an emphasis in technology and fine arts.
In 2016, Roosevelt Middle School saw a decline in enrollment and Kaleidoscope Academy expanded to fill the entire building.
Just last year in 2024, Kaleidoscope saw another addition due to the passing of a referendum in 2022.
Students, staff, officials from the City of Appleton and the greater community came together to celebrate the centennial anniversary; which included remarks from various city officials, the Appleton Historical society and school staff members.
“Throughout its 100 year history, this school has evolved with a new name and new teaching methods that have adapted to meet the needs of each generation,” said John Volkman with the Appleton Historical Society. “And as it begins its second century, the Roosevelt building will continue to be a place where dedication to our students remains as strong as ever.”
Principal Alexandra Molitor echoed with a similar sentiment.
“School has changed so much over 100 years. It used to be students sitting in rows of desks just listening to teachers and writing things down. Now it’s digital; working with Chromebooks and 3D printers. And throughout the years, the building has been able to evolve and it continues to still be relevant and provide engaging experiences for students.”
The celebration also included food trucks, inflatables, games, balloon animals, face painting, tours, a historical display and more.
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