Halifax County High School - Haliscope Yearbook (South Boston, VA)

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Maffi And Science Prepared Students From fractions to logarithms is the scope of classwork students found in the math classes here. General math, algebra I and II, plane geometry, solid geometry, trigonometry and business math were a- mong the classes students attended. This year emphasis was placed es¬ pecially on getting and holding the interest of students. One six weeks period especially was set aside for securing this interest, and this year for the first time students in solid geometry and trigonometry were required to construct geometric figures and to make snowflakes containing geometric designs. Greater stress in all math classes was placed on neatness, accuracy, and arrange¬ ment of work. Teachers agreed that only rarely should part credit be given for work which contained careless errors because math is a science of accuracy. Also in solid and trigonometry classes students were required to do library work. This work included reading topics from books on higher mathematics and writing summaries on them. This activity was established to help students understand what college math would be like and to broaden their knowledge of the subject. ' IBMSIK 10

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Gvents ‘(jests ! On this fast shrinking and changing world we, like Alice in Wonderland, have to run as fast as we can to stay where we are, Mrs. Mary McLaughlin, head of the Social Studies Department, said. With this in mind we try to motivate stu¬ dents to read, to think, to search for information; to be intellectually cu¬ rious; and to be aware of the lessons of yesterday as related to the prob¬ lems of today. To carry out this purpose, world history, Virginia and U. S. History and Government, geography, and economics were the social studies classes taught. But to further carry out the department’s purpos e, a current events program was added to social studies classwork. Stu¬ dents were required to take a week¬ ly current events test and to hand in a weekly current news summary. The students doing the best jobs were heard on a radio show, where they competed with county civic clubs. The student participating on the show the most times received a certificate of excellence at the end of the school term. Miss Jennie Wagner wasthe teacher in charge of this program. Winfred Childress and Faye Conner examine the Science Re¬ search Associates Reading Laboratory used in English and social studies classes this year. All Students Were Gnvolled On Gnglisd Was there something new in the English classes of Halifax County High in 1961? Not really; students were still involved in the age-old process of learning how to use skillfully and effectively their greatest heritage--th e i r language. The emphasis and execution of this process was different this year, though. Reading, for instance, received much greater stress. The Science Research Association Reading Lab was used in selected English classes to improve vo¬ cabulary, comprehension, and rate. Three varieties of English made up the curriculum: English, speech arts, and a combined English journalism course, English 11J. In this class students studied grammar, composition, literature, and journalism. Students in regular English classes were grouped as to ability according to their standarized test scores and their previous year’s grades. 9

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for College Jimmy Glidewellpoints to one of the geometric designs made by advanced math students. During chemistry class Jimmy Gravitt runs a titration experiment. The advancement of the understanding of general science, biology, chemistry, and physics was the purpose of the Science Department this year. Armed with five full¬ time and two part-time teachers, the department gave train- ingin some field of science to about 780 students or roughly half the total enrollment here. Two additional classrooms were equipped for science instruction cutting the funds for new equipment considerably. However, such new equipment as a satellite globe that shows movements of planets in the solar system, a vacuum pump, some government surplus optical equipment, charts, and audio-visual equipment were bought for the classes. This term marked the first time physics was taught in Grade 11; therefore, the first time the total science course offered by this school has been completed by a class in four years. Thegrowing schoolpopulation and the increasing interest in science was typified by the two new classrooms and an extra class of advanced Science 8. i i