Strong Vincent High School - Spokesman Yearbook (Erie, PA)

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Zia Ckanging lvmrfcl Even a small child has an indirect quest for scientific knowledge when he asks of his fond parents such a question as Where does the rain come from? It is only natural for human beings to want to know of the origin and basis of the various things which surround them, for some of the foods we eat, the clothes we wear, the homes we live in, our way of living, began in some scientific laboratory. It is when this child enters junior high school that he first finds the answers to a few of the most profound queries. Gradually as he progresses in his school courses his choice of studies becomes more difficult and yet more satisfyingp he may take general science at the beginning and then advance into biology, phys- iography, chemistry, physics or senior science. It is only in the past few years that the junior high school student has been offered a taste of the physical sciences. l-le now takes a course of general science which gives him a little of each branch of science, one of which he may choose to major in, in senior high school. Mr. Weibel, Mr. Cochrane and Mr. Blake are the able teachers of this subject at Vincent. ln senior high school biology is usually the first to be taken up. This science deals with the origin and life-history of plants and animals, and is exceedingly interesting especially when studied under Mrs. Flynn or Mr. Cochrane. Physiography is next in line and it tells of the earth and its con- struction and of atmospheric conditions. Miss Burke or Mr. Shanor teaches this at Vincent. The real adventure begins when the pupil enters the chemistry room. Atoms, molecules, protons and electrons, things which were previously unheard of now begin to take shape and a new world un- folds. With Mr. Armagost or Mr. Blake he will decompose compounds or make them. Mr. Shanor also teaches physics which instructs by actual experiment the laws and forces which govern this great world of ours. These latter two may be studied only by juniors and seniors. The most recent addition to the school curricula is senior science which is taught by Mr. Armagost. This presents a practical side for the boy or girl who will not go to college for it teaches them how to apply the principles of science to every day life.

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iuing 09efAer The aim of the social science course is to educate not only for personal welfare but for participation and ability to function in an ever- changing society. lts purposes are to stimulate a desire to seek new facts and ideas, consider them carefully, Withholding judgment until the conclu- sion is evident, to keep the mind from being easily swayed but always open to additional evidence and new outlooks. The student is first taught to expect and to meet new problems and also is educated for individual and cooperative action in the interest of the group. For example, the unwise destruction of our forests, the erosion of our soil, the so called water stealing, and the exploitation of our mineral resources showed an utter lack of in- dividual responsibility for social welfare. The social science course is attempting to instill adequate education in social attitudes and ap- preciations. The preservation of the spirit of democracy depends upon socially conscious and enlightened citizens. The greatest need of America on the threshold of the greatest epoch of its history, is citizens who understand the past out of which this nation has grown, and are thankful for the heritage that has been passed on to them. The courses -offered in this field include American history and civics in junior high school, and world history, United States history, problems of democracy, and economics in senior high school. Also, this year, a new course called con- sumer's economics, which is useful training for future citizens, has been added. The history classes in junior high school are under the supervision of Miss McCarthy and Mr. Weibel, Mr. Weibel is the instructor of the civics classes. The world history classes are taught by by Miss Sourwine, Miss Quirk, Mrs. Boynton, and Mr. McCarthy. The United States history classes are taught by Miss Peters, Miss Evans, Mr. McCarthy, and Mr. Pratt. Mr. Gustavson conducts classes in problems of democracy and economics. The new course, consumer's economics, is taught by Mr. Schenck. Even now the instructors are working on a revision of the social science curriculum and are ever alert to new ideas which might further the objectives of effective social studies. Miss Quirk's history class put their notebooks on e in the school library. The P.O.D. class gets a preview of a citizen's duties they all use a demonstration voting machine. In Mr. Shanor's physics class, the boys practice scientific principles.

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Mr. Hughes' trig class watches a surveying demonstration put on by four of the members of the class. In Miss Bryce's advanced algebra class, a student demonstrates graphing. A student in Miss Turner's geometry class proves that a straight line is still the shortest distance between two points. goof of cc!! oaarning Mathematics may not qualify as everyone's idea of an interesting course, but some, taking it either through necessity or natural inclination, have come to enjoy it. They understand that mathematics has always been the important factor in the foundation of our civilization. Without it we could not possibly have our present day sciences as we know them. Furthermore there is hardly an occupation today which does not deal with mathematics in some form. For this group of pupils the teachers of the mathematics department have provided excellent opportunities for enlight- enment and advancement. They have planned the courses in the order of student ability to master them and have attempted to satisfy everyone. Our own school, Strong Vincent, presents all this in a very efficient way. Qur junior high students are fortunate in having Miss Vanatta as their instructor in general mathematics. This course has recently been changed so that it now consists of plain arithmetic in the 7th and 8th grades and an introduction to algebra and geometry in the 9th, with some com- mercial arithmetic. Mr. Hughes is now teaching the last class in Algebra 2. Beginning next semester there will be no classes known as Algebra l and 2 taught in the school. ln beginning senior high work, the lOth graders have an opportunity to study plane geometry with Miss Turner, Miss Cantlon, or Mr. Hughes. Having successfully completed this course, advanced algebra is open to them as luniors. All of these classes are under the super- vision of Miss Bryce. ln their senior year, a choice of solid geometry or trigonometry is given. The decision between the two depends upon their future occupational needs. Solid geometry is taught by Miss Turner and trigonometry by Mr. Hughes. lnasmuch as people seem to work harder when a definite goal is in sight, the winning of the Rensselaer Medal is the goal of the students of mathematics and science. This medal is awarded each year to the most proficient student in mathe- matics and science. Twenty- two