Mount Prospect's River Trails Middle School plans 50th reunion

If you were a student or faculty member of River Trails Middle School when doors opened in 1965, school principal Keir Rogers invites you to 50th anniversary reunion and celebration on Thursday, Nov. 5.

He would welcome your call as soon as possible and your attendance at the school's 50th anniversary celebration and special basketball game at 2 p.m.

While District 26's River Trails Middle School, in Mount Prospect, actually opened on Sept. 7, 1965, as River Trails Junior High School, the school will begin its 50th year in August 2015, according to Rogers.

"The school has already received a copy of the inaugural 1965-1966 yearbook from a former student in an effort to commemorate this golden occasion," Rogers said. "At the time of our opening, we were called River Trails Junior High School and there were sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade classes, so we're looking for any student and faculty alumni who began in 1965 or 1966."

To celebrate the occasion, the school will host a special assembly and reception to honor RTMS student and teacher alumni at 2 p.m. in the gymnasium, Rogers added.

"Our hope is that enough alumni, who remained in this area or former teachers who have already retired and are interested in traveling from anywhere in the United States, will read about this event or hear about it through social media or through broadcast outlets," Rogers added. "I've already contacted one former teacher who now lives in Connecticut and plans to attend and we'd be delighted if others from nearby or far away would join us too. We know that some of our former teachers live in Arizona and in the South and we'd like to get in touch with them."

Please RSVP to Principal Keir Rogers at krogers@rtsd26.org or call (224) 612-7600 to say hello and let him know whether you can make it. Visit www.rtsd26.org,

River Trails Middle School is at 1000 N. Wolf Road, in Mount Prospect. Today, the school has 440 students and a staff of 65. At the time the school opened, the principal was James Retzlaff and there were roughly 380 students and 25 staff members.