West Philadelphia Catholic Girls High School - Gleam Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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-r-4-i-E ecenm 19335 HE Sisters of Mercy do not, however, confine their acuvities solely to the teaching of Latin. In their hands also is the Guidance Program for the entire student body. The purpose of this work is to adjust the student to her social environment by training in selffcontrol, courtesy, and cooperation. It also presents to the student the various vocational fields, striving to enable each girl to understand her capabilities and shortcomings and to avoid the placing of round pegs in square holes. During the past year this work was exemplified in two plays, In Life's Gift Shop and High Ways. At the head of this work is a Sister known as Student-Counsellor, who is always accessible to a student in any dilliculty and who strives by individual attention to prevent malfadjustments to the school environ- ment. In addition to this, the Sisters of Mercy are in charge of the Apostolic Unit of Catholic Action, and have the general direction of all Catholic Action activity in the school. ELSIE J. GALLAGHER, '35. GUIDANCE LATIN GRAMMAR SPEAKS Seventeen

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'T'+-I-E CEILE-QFYI IQSS W ,yt ,, W, SIsrIaR M. AUATIIA josiivn SIsTIaR M. Aramis THE LATIN DEPARTMENT ' 1 SISTER M. FELICE SISTER M. CQNSTANCI2 SISTER M. CQNSOLATA N West Catholic, the Sisters of Mercy and Latin are almost synonyms, for it is they who open to the students the doors of classical learning. In the first year, the fun- damentals of Latin grammar are drilled: at the same time, a large proportion of the vocahulary is acquired. Czesar's Commentaries on the Gallic Wzirs is assigned to second year pupils for reading. The third year hrings Cicero, Rome's iinest prose writer. Then the culmination of three years' study is attained when the students reach the Vergil Classic. By their extensive preparation, they are equipped to appreciate fully the wonderful poetry of this lvenevolent enchanter of mediaeval legends. To supplement the regular Latin schedule, the Sisters of Mercy organized a Latin Cluh this year for the purpose of weaving a stronger classical hackground in the girls' minds 'md refinitiating them into the mysteries of mytholf ogy. However, music, the constellations, and dramatics have not heen neglected. The cluh has presented many interesting plays, including Pyramus and Thishef' The judgment of Paris, A Roman Christmas, and Latin Grammar, Eager to learn, the enthusiastic memhers adopted this slogan, Crescat Scientiaf' ELSIE J. G.-XLLAGHER, '35. Sixteen

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-1-4-4-E GLE-mm 19,3 lVlU'I'IllR lVl.-RRY Auwics Mo'rnRR Mo'rm-.R MARY Axroxm lVlUTlIl'R lVl:XRY Emnxn MARY CliRISTUl'HliR iXlUI'lH'R M. LoRi-.N:o lVlO'l'IiliR Motr1liiR MoTni-R lVlU'lklllR MARY Lr.oNARn M, CATIlliRINli lVlARY Ai'm.i'sTA MARIA Srl l.l.X THE HISTORY DEPARTMENT N THE History Department, conducted hy the Sisters of the Holy Child hlcsus, students are given an under' standing of presentfday prohlems in the light of the past. They are taught to look upon history not as a mere narra' tion of facts hut as a reality in which men and women have played a part, and hy their intellect and achievements have helped to shape out presentfday civilization. To stimulate selffactivity and independent thinking on the part of the student, floor talks, dehates, controversial topics, and other classfroom activities are introduced. ln this way opportunity is given for selllfexpression, and the student is directed in the proper evaluation of material and the formation of wellfhalanced judgments. Originality in visualizing significant events hy means of cartoons, charts, and graphs is encouraged. while every effort is made hy the Sisters of the Holy Child -lesus to impress the student with a sense of her own responsihility in helping to make the History of the future. MARY Lox'ifr'r, '35, Eiglileen 5