Central High School - Helios Yearbook (Grand Rapids, MI)

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Wesley Perrin, Assistant Instructional Principal, feels Central has greatly improved within the past five years. In addition to a renewed student pride in Central, he has also found students to have an overall improved out- look on Education. Guiding programs for the student and faculty during the school year, he also acquainted the new teachers to the studies and surroundings of Central. Before becom- ing assistant principal Mr. Perrin spent five years as head counselor. He also supendsed the night school classes held in the building during the past several years. Both jobs have given him added experience in the field of student-administration relations. One of the few major difficulties Mr. Perrin believed should be given added attention here at Central is the lax attendance records of some of the students during the past year. This, he felt, leads to a possible lack of interest in studies and could even lead students to drop out of school. In the key position of assistant principal Mr. Perrin leads a hectic but satisfying pace. However, experiences at Central have been very rewarding ones for Mr. Per- rin. and he hopes to continue helping the school to his liest capacity. Mr. George Cleveland, in his second year as Admin- istrative Assistant Principal was again presented with challenging responsibilities. Long hours of work, how- ever, did not hamper his enthusiasm for accomplishing many tasks; improving student-faculty communication, disciplining student violators, and organizing Central ' s schedule of assemblies. Mr. Cleveland also played a major role in helping lower the rising rate of absen- teeism during the year. His main goal in assisting Principal Romani was to help keep Central ' s image high in the public eye by making certain school rules were observed and respect- ed. Always on the go, Mr. Cleveland spent much of his time speaking before interested groups of parents or contacting individuals concerning school policies. He felt that CentraFs staff of teachers, besides exe- cuting excellent curricula, worked well with the adminstration in solving many of Central ' s disciplinary ' problems. He also believed Central ' s staff was well qualified to work with student problems. When school hours are over, he finds relaxation in spending much of his spare time with his wife and four children. He also has great enthusiasm for hunt- ing and tries to make occasional trips to his favorite hunting grounds in Texas or Mexico during his vacation. Mr. Wesley Perrin, Instructional Assistont Principal, tant facets ' n school curriculum. Administrative Assistant Pri list of stucients appointmen :ipal George CleaveloncJ, goe

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Principal Romulus Romani, enjoys his work despite his heavy load of responsibilities. Principle Personalities Focus on Ever- Changing Scene One of the most influential image-makers in the lives of Central students is Principal Romulus Romani, a dynamic personality leading the nearly 1800 junior and senior high students as well as guiding 80 faculty members. Appear- ing as a true paragon of tolerance, temperance and perception. Mr. Romani fulfills his whirl of responsibilities with vigor, enthusiasm and wisdom. Although heading Central High School is demanding, our principal finds the experience full of rewards. Among the most heartening is seeing the young students grow and m ature over the years into responsible young adults. According to Mr. Romani, A pHncipal has the over-all obligation for the total building and is directly responsible to the superintendent of schools. His ideals and goals for promoting education and maturity in Central were multi-faceted and diverse. Solving the complex drop-out problem was one of the greatest enigmas faced by the administration, and the solutions, he believes, will come only from much study and the development of a specially tailored program designed for potential drop-outs. As he explained, he hopes to even- tually eliminate a sad situation and a needless one in today ' s modem society. Though Education plays the major role at Central, Mr. Romani often faces the human side of student-administration relations. With a family of six chil- dren, the leader of Central ' s complex frequently faces the same adolescent problems at school as he does at home. In his small amount of spare time, Mr. Romani enjoys being with his children and playing an occasional game of golf to ease the tensions of the hectic pace he faces during the school year. To sum up Mr. Romani in words is not easy; but as one student candidly remarked after leaving his office, He ' s really a pretty nice guy. 20

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Counselors Smooth Path for Students Always available to solve the trying problems that often arise. Central ' s counselors are constantly combat- ing a variety of student problems: potential drop-outs, vocational training, college plans and entrance questions. Taking pride in their modern offices which were re- cently remodeled for privacy, the counselors worked in a light, cheerful atmosphere. Though often deluged with paperwork, the four counselors were always happy to do everything possible for the students and answer their questions. Problems were handled to the benefit of the student through their system of dividing the pupils into grades and then alphabetically. This system makes communication much more effective and each counselor performs his duties without confusion. Three of the counselors were newcomers to Central this year; Miss Feringa, Mr. Raterink, and head counselor. Mr. Galant. In the words of Mr. Galant, speaking for the entire staff, We are very impressed with the willingness to learn displayed by the students in Central High School, and it is our hope that this positive attitude will motivate our student body to develop their skills for future endeavors. Counseling aid from Mr. Raterinl helps student Charles Co decide on next year ' s courses. Margaret Feringa Counselor Bernard Raterink Counselor 22