Alice Deal Middle School - Square Deal Yearbook (Washington, DC)

Page 3 text:

-,,.., fu- - - Edited by the Stu-dents of ALICE DEAL JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL VULIIME IV JANU Aer, 1936 NUMBER 1 Our Principa1's Message Junior high school days are drawing to a close, and we are planning for that proud event. Graduation. In the three years here you have studied and played happily together. illld in doing so you have formed right attitudes, high ideals, lasting friendships. These things you will take with you into the new life in the senior high school. Look forward to this new adventure with joy and with faith in yourself. Take an active part in class work, in the student activities. and in the social atlairs. The more you enter into the life of the school. the more good you will gain from it. 'We send you forth, Grad- uates of Alice Deal, with pride in your accomplish- ments and high hopes for your future. Sincere. good wishes for a happy and successful high school life. -Margaret R. dlcrritt. Valedictory Address Instead of following the usual pattern presented in a valedictory address, one might. instead, briefly state the extent to swhich the March of Time has changed schools since the days of the three I-Ps. One of the best ways to picture this evolution in education is to compare the old days with the present. ln great-grandfatheris day of Birch Rods and Pig- tailsf' no activities other than a simple course of study were prescribed for the pupil's benetit, and equipment was as scarce as the money furnished for it. This is well illustrated by a. description Lincoln gave of his own school days. He once said: All our reading was done from Scripture. Wie stood up in a long line and read in turn from the Bible. Eggleston, in The Hoosier Schoolboyj' paints an excellent picture of the days of frontier schools. showing the brutality of cer- tain of the aged schoolmasters. and the hardships suf- fered by both students and teachers. It must be reniembered, however, that formal edu- cation did not play so great a. part in lllilll,S life as it does today. Now, splendid educational opportuni- ties lie within the reach of the average youth, together with many extra-curricular activities never dreamed of in this earlier period. A comparison of the old with the new shows a remarkable change. Contrast the bare, little, one- room, school building with the beautiful, well-equipped, brilliantly lighted buildings of the present, and one sees what a miracle has taken place. To the three or four meager subjects of the olden days, history, science, arts and crafts and the study of modern languages have been added. Moreover, there are provided activities in the form of orchestras, glee clubs, and dramatic clubs, thus giving the student a chance to discover talents which might otherwise remain undeveloped. Modern education provides training for the body as well as the mind by offering a. varied program of ath- letic activities in' the form of inter-class, and inter- school games. Our whole school program aims to develop the capacity for self-direction and self-government. An excellent instance of self-government here at Alice Deal may be found in our trafiic force. This organization consists of a group of boys elected by the pupils to regulate conduct in the halls, lunchroom, and school Al

Page 2 text:

'Z'rxa,1,L7eZ-,W-..,9,7'1,.v,,.,Vd

Page 4 text:

'it- 'fi 2 ALICE DEAL JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL grounds. This is just one of the many situations that the school creates through which the self-development of its pupils may be expressed. ' It is fitting that we, who enjoy all the advantages which the schools of today afford, should be conscious of our debt of gratitude. I feel coniident that the members of this graduating class do appreciate what has been done for us. Therefore, it is with mingled emotions that we take our leave of one of Vlfashing- ton's most progressive junior high schools. TVe are proud to have satisfactorily completed the course of study that ena.bles us to pa.ss on to senior high school. lVe are eager for the new experiences that lie ahead, but we are loath to leave the familiar haunts that have grown dear to us during the last three years. I am sure that I voice the sentiments of my class- mates when ll bid an atfectionate farewell to our teach- ers, and our principal, and thank them for the fine service they have rendered us. Our hour for parting draws near, and, like time, we go marching on. -Donald Olcseen. Speech of Welcome A hearty welcome to our graduation! Since each of us cannot greet you personally, to me falls the pleasant privilege of expressing our appreciation for your presence herc today. lVe hope that you will enjoy the exercises with us on this important occasion. TVe want to thank the loving parents who have helped us by cheering us on and even for checking up on us to see that our homework was done. YVe are grateful to the teachers who have btlell so kind and patient-except when we deserved a little discipline: and last, but not least, we want to welcome the 9A members who have come to learn the true meaning of graduation. They will be stepping into our shoes in a few days and will feel mighty important about it, too. During these years of study and pleasure we have constantly looked forward to this day with high hopes. llaving reached the goal of our ambition, it is but l- natural that each of us should experience a thrill of satisfaction at our successful achievement. Neverthe- less. with this feeling of pride and happiness we realize that we are also experiencing a touch of regret. We are leaving the place that has been the center of our days' work and pleasure. to go to strange places where we shall have to make new friends: where we shall be unknown to our new faculties and they will be unfa- miliar to usg where we shall begin the pursuit of new and more advanced studies. In this untried iield we shall need your help and encourageinent as we con- tinue to climb higher up the ladder of education. VVe know now that we shall have your love and friendship to strengthen us in this new venture. Our three years' experience in this fine school has, we hope, taught us something of self-control and given us a truer understanding of our motto 'tLight and Lifev-so that we leave well fortified to continue our careers i11 other fields. Need we confess that we feel somewhat proud of ourselves now that the moment of graduation has arrived? That you are here is a happy assurance to all of us that you, too, are proud and happy at our success. -lllargarot Cor-nl. Class History Accomplisl1ments-activities-attainmentsI All are appropriate in recording the history of the February class of Thirty-six. To enumerate them all would make us appear to boast. Lest we be accused of that. let me recall just a few of the highlights of our career as students of this school. Amidst all the trials of our rookie days as TA's in the annex at Ben Murch. many of us took an active interest ill the junior orchestra and glee clubs. and have become notably active in our later years. On more than one occasion the school has called upon our talents as singers and musicians. How strange it will seem when the blowing, fiddling. banging and tooting of Gardiner Shrode, Jim Pierce, Clarence Ke- fauver, Randolph Reed-to mention only a few-are no longer heard throughout the halls!