Aragon High School - El Tesoro Yearbook (San Mateo, CA)

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gram which encouraged a person- al critique of a literary work rather than a simple regurgitation of in- formation. Grammar was also stressed and presented in a way that attempted to make it at least tolerable! Clearly, anything from Moby Dick to modifiers was covered by the English Department. Their thoroughness was evident in the high test scores achieved by Ara- gon students. Although the de- partment was unable to produce Saturday morning cartoons on grammar, their effective and cre- ative ways of teaching not only led to a solid understanding of materi- al but reminded students that Eng- lish didn't have to be dull. wikis Mrs. Matthews always has time to help her students. Mrs. Hall has received many awards for her teaching. Mrs. Brinton lectures to her Freshman English Class. Robert McLean . W if Jack Shackleton Ruth Witte Thomas Maes Susan Stoehr NOT SHOWN: Kelly Matthews Lou Murgo Britt Williams

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The English Department Answers These And Other Age-Old Mysteries CDNJUNCTIDN, JUNCTID WHAT'S YOUR FUNCTIDN? Walk into any English class and one will hear, not monotonous repetition of pronouns, but most likely the sounds of a thoughtful discussion of a literary work. ln- corporated in the classes was not only lecture from the teacher, but student opinions as well. This unique studentf teacher blend was just one characteristic of one of ,. ll cl Q Donna Brinton Jackie Estes Susan Hall Marlene Hubbard Sara lraheta Maria Lucidi 128 f English Department the most highly regarded pro- grams in the district. The staff of 14 teachers was never without a dull moment, whether hearing standard student excuses for late papers or com- pleting the over-whelming task of grading a constant influx of pa- pers. Because of the high stan- dards demanded of students in all Mr. Murgo's composition class writes many papers. phases, they were pushed to their full potential, becoming prepared for the future. While the English Department emphasized vocabulary tests in preparation for the SAT's and oth- er tests, students came out with more than an expanded vocabu- lary. The department has also de- veloped an excellent writing pro- Mrs. Witte enlightens her students with her vast knowledge of Shakespeare. Mrs. Hubbard enjoys teaching freshman English.

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A BLAST I TO THE PAST History Happens With Excitement Penetrating the barriers of time, students relived the times of Ro- mans, Greeks, and the beginning of our nation as the Social Studies Department presented creative activities to interest modern day students in the past. Unlike most history classes in the nation, Ara- gon's classes emphasized more than memorizing dates and places. Programs were designed to blend right and left brain thinking. With such study methods as creative writing, visuals, metaphor-making, the students were encouraged to explore and utilize all aspects of the brain. Furthermore, used throughout the social studies classes was the infamous left and right side notebook tthe gospel ac- Mr. Bloom checks to see if his students have completed their assignments. 130 Social Studies cording to Swensonl. Teachers, given creative li- cense, came up with imaginative projects as they planned, shared ideas, and coordinated together at most times. At times, projects be- came too imaginative for most stu- dents at any other school. Yet, the students at Aragon, as they were tolerant, open, and willing to try Mr. Hill passes out dittoes to aid students in their studies of both World History and U.S. History.