Berkeley High School - Olla Podrida Yearbook (Berkeley, CA)

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Special Education Dept. Encourages Students MRS. BARBARA ACKER Braillist MR. TOM KELLIS Resource MISS PATRICIA KEMPER Guidance Consultant MRS. MYRTLE WHITTED MRS. ELNORA ROUCE MR. HOWARD SCHIRMER Mobility Instructor, Blind Resource MRS. BETSY TIDLAND Resource MRS. MIRIAM POLLOCK 29

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experimental Community High School At BHS MR. JAY MANLEY Director Drama MR. CARL BRUSH English MR. PETER KLEINBARD Drama MRS. SUSAN BEMENT History Community High School, originated by Jay Manley and Peter Kleinbard, got underway the spring semester and truly was a unique experience for all those involved. The experimental school, which took place within Berkeley High, stemmed from the Berkeley Summer Project and main hopes were to solve some of the problems facing a large urban school such as Berkeley High. The project proposed to provide a method by which the large school could humanize the learning process and the environment in which it was taught. One of the key factors used to accomplish this was a totally integrated system. 116 tenth graders were chosen at random to create a racially and intellectually mixed student body. Classes were grouped heterogeneously; it was hoped that total in- tegration would occur not only physically but also in the sharing of ideas and thoughts, It was planned that the student would be involved with CHS each day from 10:30-3:00. The first three periods would be spent taking whatever electives he so desired. The remainder of the day would consist of English, Science, Drama, Art and Dance classes where he would be given full college credit. Because the instructors would be working together very closely, the schedule would vary day to day making it possible for the classes to go into their projects and ideas at length. It was hoped that the original tenth grade class would continue and become the school ' s first graduating class. Next year as the present class moves up a grade, a new group of tenth graders will be admitted thus moving the enrollment to about 230. There are several specific goals it hoped to accomplish on a mass scale such as the formation of a truly intergrated system and the development of a curriculum stimulating to both the students and ■the faculty. Above all, CHS hoped to provide an atmosphere in which teacher and student can learn from one another. It is in this way, communication between staff and students, that they hope a real feeling of community education will develop. 28

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Hampton Heads First Extensive High School CLARENCE HAMPTON Black Studies Curriculum Associate As an answer to the Black Student Union demands made in the fall of 1968, a comprehensive Black Studies Program, the only one of its kind in the Bay Area, was initiated at Berkeley High. Clarence Hampton was named Curriculum Associate for Black Studies on November first and has spent the past months perfecting the program. New Black teachers were hired (another one of the demands made by the BSU) to teach the new courses. Hampton emphasized hiring Black teachers for students to identify with. Black teachers establish rap- port with Black students. Since Black teachers have experienced these prob- lems, students can relate to their experiences. Hampton added that White teachers can help tremendously by integrating the materials of their courses and by seeing that they are well taught. The new courses are Afro-American Literature, Afro-American Economics, Afro-American Journalism, Swahili, Afro-Haitian dance, African Civilization and the expansion of two classes that already existed, History of Jazz and Afro- American History. Besides the newly hired teachers, Mrs. Ellane Hammond teaches History, Mr. Eugene Brooks with Afro-Economics, Mrs. Jacqueline White and Mrs. Letitia, Woodson, both with Afro-American Literature, Mr. Wil- liam Reidsema with Journalism (whose class produced its own newspaper, The Ujamaa), and Mr. William Elliott assisted Mrs. Jacqueline Hardester teaching the History of Jazz. MACK WILLIAMS and PATRICIA MARTINEZ Intern Counselors ELENDAR BARNES Afro-Haitian Dance Joshua Omange, Swahili (center) with students Ronald McFadden and Kirt Davis. 30