220 Catherine St
Alpena, MI 49707

I transferred out of this school. The hallways are crowded and at lunch time if you are running behind, you will not have a good selection of food. They will not give you food unless you can pay. I would have friends begging me for my lunch. Additionally, this school has a LAUGHABLE policy on bullying. If you are a member of the LGBTQ+ community (ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE TRANS) then you need to stay in the closet. The staff do nothing to protect it's students. There is no repercussions for bullying, they tell you it's your fault for being x,y,z. And if you are suffering from mental illness, they are incredibly uncaring of it. Dress codes only apply to those who are deemed unattractive, and a friend once got kicked out of a dance because the "rash" on her arm was "obviously scabies". It was eczema. The nurse will ignore you, and if you open up to the counsellors, they will make your life miserable. They force you to go off site and pay $300 for a counselor. They don't always let you get your inhaler if you need it, and they count each class against you instead of a day. I transferred out of that horrible place to the alternative school and instantly went from failing to straight A's. If you require any amount of compassion or have issues with high stress environments, you need to run as fast as you can out of this school. The building is always cold in the winter and they refuse to use AC in the summer. You will NOT have enough time to go to your locker. Many people never go to it because there is no time. When the last class ends, you have approximately 5 minutes to get from one end of campus to the other and on your bus, otherwise they will leave you there. Bus drivers are also jerks in this town. It is 50/50 if you will get one who doesn't mind kids or one that will forbid ALL speaking. The only upside to this school is that is is not religious. Some of the teachers in this district are questionable, a few have been accused of, shall we say, "inappropriate relationships with students". Some of the teachers are amazing, but only some. If you are attractive, straight, and sporty, you will do well here. If not, good luck. I personally hated every second of this school district, and I am so thankful that I transferred out of it.

I have been a student at Thunder Bay Junior High School for almost three years, and I feel it's important to share some observations about the school environment.One area that could benefit from attention is the administrative structure, including the recent addition of the assistant principal. Clear communication and coordination among the administration team would contribute to more effective school management.Diversity is another aspect that could be enhanced to create a more inclusive atmosphere. A richer representation of backgrounds and perspectives would undoubtedly enrich the educational experience for all students.Addressing inappropriate behaviour and fostering a culture of respect is crucial. Instances of immaturity, especially misogyny, need proactive measures to ensure a safe and respectful learning environment.Lastly, there have been perceptions of unequal treatment favouring male students, both by administration and staff. It's essential to uphold principles of fairness and equity to ensure a positive and supportive environment for all students.I believe that by addressing these concerns, Thunder Bay Junior High School can continue to evolve into a more positive and inclusive learning community.

I waited until my last child was done with this school before reviewing because I didn't want my kids to pay for my opinions. My kids have been going to Besser since 2009, so 14 years. We have been through 4 principals and multiple teachers and staff. It was a great school until 4-5? years ago. When the last principal took over. Then it all went downhill. Parking, dropping off and picking up kids became a huge problem. Kids are marked late because their clock is the only right clock in the world (as I see someone else mentioned). It's just a mess there. Last day of school you could go to line the halls to see your 5th grader walk the halls at the end of the day. Lots of parents showed up. They weren't even allowed to park in the parking lot at the school. We all had to park on the street. Most teachers there no longer care about the kids. There are only a couple who actually care. I told them for YEARS that my daughter didn't know multiplication. She was struggling in math. Finally, the last couple months of 5th grade they discovered that like a third of the fifth graders were struggling in math (most likely due to covid) and weren't ready for 6th grade. imagine that. Now they have tutors this summer. I've already found a paid tutor for my child sine they wouldn't help prior.The year prior I had miserable kids because of masks. They didn't care that my daughter had headaches every day from one. No sympathy. The teachers mocked and made fun of the kids who didn't want to wear a mask. My son missed a ton of school (we eventually figured out why and fixed it) but he was miserable there and I reached out to several staff members. Most of them didn't care and the principal was actually quite rude about it. Only one teacher (my son's teacher from a previous year) replied back to me and was very helpful and supportive. If not for her I would have pulled my son. NO ONE ELSE wanted to help him!!! Again, the teacher's there act all kind and supportive, but the majority of them and the principal DO NOT CARE! This school used to be very welcoming to parents before the recent principal took over. I was always told that that was my child and I was free to come in an observe whenever I wanted. Parents were always welcome. Not anymore. It's VERY parent unfriendly.