 During its first years the school was elementary, consisting of three classes, but beginning in 1861 it received the official title of "Modern School [Natural Science College] of Gymnasium Rank", which reflected its intensively applied direction in advanced secondary education (in comparison to State educational institutions).At the end of the 1850s one of the school performances opened with herald walking with flags emblazoned with May bugs; the director and all present were very pleased with this symbol.From that point on, attendees of this school have referred to themselves as "May bugs" for the rest of their lives.