Central High School - Blackhawk Yearbook (Davenport, IA)

Page 16 text:

. PREPARATORY English instructors aro, loft to right: Frank L. Madden, Mrs, Janice Howos, who substituted the first semostor; Miss Josephine Mirfield, and Miss Elsie Wallace. Membors of Miss Mirfield's I2B college prepara- tory English literature class presont a scene from Macbeth. They aro, loft to right: Walter Hum- mel. Don Shawver, Jeanne Gillon, and Jack Barloon. Looking into the future is the cadet who realizes the value sound English courses in preparation for flight school training will have on his final place in the fight for victory. English in wartime still contains the basic fundamentals, but much emphasis is placed on reading which can bring to the prospective inductee attitudes and understand- ings which will lead him to accept the privations of war as a necessary part of the fight to preserve American ideals and ways of life. As Lieut. John R. Rackley emphasized in his talk to the boys in the spring, Learn your English well, so you can give fast and accurate locations of enemy fortifica- tions and movement. Someday your knowledge of good English may save your life. But there are many more advantages that English brings to the prospective flight school trainee. Orderliness, one of the first attributes of a good serviceman, can be developed through English — in the arrangement of a letter on a page, in taking of notes and assignments, in clear and logical argument, and in well-planned compo- sitions. A man’s success as a soldier, his chances for promo- tion, and his opportunities for leadership depend upon his ability to carry out oral orders promptly and efficient- ly — upon his ability to listen carefully and attentively. In this duty the listening skills are analyzed, carry-overs from the English classroom when simple instructions were given and only those with ears wide-open were able to carry them out correctly. 12

Page 15 text:

Nurse Wilna Nash is shown administer- ing to a student in tho first aid room. SICK BAY STAFF DOCTOR, NURSE, SPEECH CORRECTIONS Realizing the value of good health in doing the best work and in securing the best grades, the sick bay staff at D. H. S. keeps tab on all students who are sick for more than three days, who need their vision or hearing tested, or who have speech defects. Before any student enters high school, he is given a phys- ical examination and it is filed in the nurse's office for future reference by teachers and counselors. For those who are about to wash out of training, the nurse gives them a vision and hearing test to see if they have some defect that can be causing the low grades. In the speech correctionist’s line of duty are those students who have slight defects in their speech. They are trained in the correct pronunciation of the vowels and con- sonants in order to get a clear-cut speaking voice. Lip read- ing is also offored for those who have a definite hearing loss. In the fall all sophomores are offered the tuberculin test. Sixty-four per cent of the sophomore class took the test this year. If their skin reactions were positive they were x-rayed. With the war training program in the Industrial Arts Building, many minor accidents occur to the boys working with the various machines now installed. It's all in a day's work for Miss Nash to treat cut fingers, splinters, nose bleeds, or toothaches. Miss Margaret Ken- nedy, director of spooch correction, in- structs Robelt Walton, loft, and Gcorgo Dor- dorian, center.

Page 17 text:

ENGLISH All the time spent in English and lit classes giving short talks or participating in round table discussions can be utilized to good advantage in a flight school. Frequent class recitations and speaking before the class will break down the barrier of shyness when it comes to field and drill work in flight school training. Writing is another skill that must be mastered. A pro- spective air officer who wants to succeed must have the ability to write legibly, to fill out forms and follow printed directions, to spell correctly a basic vocabulary, to capital- ize and punctuate correctly, and to write personal letters. Eight English courses are offered the cadets at D.H.S. The opportunities for basic English training are not being passed up—86.4 per cent of those taking training at D.H.S. were enrolled in some English course during this year. Two years of English are required for graduation. After the sophomore year, one more year of English must be elected from one of the following fields of study: MB English, a refresher course for those who fall below the minimum standard at the end of sophomore English; creative writing, for those who enjoy writing plays, poems, short stories, or essays; recent literature, a study of con- temporary writers and dramatists; business English, an explanation of the correct English usage in the business world; journalism, a study of all phases of proper news writing; American literature, the study of essays, poems, short stories, and novels; and English literature, the study of the works of great English authors as far back as Chaucer. Top: Shown in Mrs. Howes' I0A English class ara. left to right: Jean Waago. Bob Hollin, Nancy Bennison, and William Stebens. Above: Members of Miss Finch's I0B English class looking at a model of tho Bastille aro, loft to right: Joyce Donahue, Phyllis Bargmann, Wilmor Blackman, and Jay Fisher. Listening to department rec- ords are the following English instructors: seated on the left. Miss Joan MacDonald; seated on the right, Miss Margarot West and Miss Mabel John- stone; grouped about tho combination , left to right. C. W. Hach, Miss Hortense Finch, Miss Florence Anderson, and Mrs. Helen Bardsley. 13