Abraham Lincoln Junior High School - Annual Yearbook (Rockford, IL)

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PART OF OUR CULTURAL LIFE-FOREIGN LANGUAGE Miss Zwolanek, Mrs. Bogen 1 In the eighth grade when many of us took a course in general language, we had our first taste of the foreign languages taught in Lincoln. The first half of the course con- sisted of a study of Latin and French, by which we gained a knowledge of the people, their customs, and their life as well as of the language. In the second part of the course we had a similar study of Spanish and German. VVe made note books and mapsg we studied the newspapers for interesting topics about these people. By the time we had finished the course, most of us knew which language we desired to learn. In the ninth grade we began our study of the particular language we had chosen: most of us intend to continue its study in senior high school. VVQ know this study of a foreign language will be helpful to us in many ways. Many of us expect to go to college and are preparing for it by this study, Those of us who hope to become doctors, law- yers, teachers, scientists, or writers know we need a knowledge of other languages as well as of our own. Of course, some of us found that we are not adept at learning a foreign language and are glad that we have found this fact out in junior high school so that we can better plan our high school work with less loss of time and effort. However, it is not only for the future that we study a foreign language. We Find it a great help and enjoyment for the present. We find that our English is made easier by an understanding of other languages and of their construction. VVe have much greater interest in foreign affairs because of our study of foreign people. VVe confess to a pleasure in being able to speak even a few phrases in another language and look forward to trying our knowledge on some waiter. VVe enjoy the fun of translating and under- standing the stories in our Latin, French, or Spanish readers. Altogether, we feel that our time in our foreign language class is time well spent. caballero. l17l A Spanish class is enjoying a story of a gay

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The SA 5 Literature Class Gives an lilfcctive Performance of The Knave of Hearts ENGLISH-A COMBINATION OF WORK AND PLAY Miss Rudolph, Miss Hickey Cotta Our work in English is a combination of the study of literature and practice in self expression in composition. ln literature we read widely from the literature of people from ancient times to those of today, VVe become familiar with the books that all educated people seem to know: we become acquainted with the names and some of the works of authors of America and of other countries: we learn more and more the value of reading as a great source of pleasure, ln our composition work we write many themes of differ- ent types. XVe practice writing letters of the kind that we are most likely to need to write. XYe have practice in talking to our classmates, giving talks which receive the most severe type of criticism-that of our schoolmates. VVe know how important our work in English is in our preparation for future study and for future life. XYe know that reading is a skill without which other study is ini- possibleg we know that the ability to express ourselves simply and clearly is a prime factor in the success of our careers both in school and out of it. Yet our English work is not taken only for the future. It is most important in our lives right now. ln our study of literature we have increased our fondness for reading. We have become acquainted with many books to which hitherto we have been strangers, from which we derive much entertainment and pleasure. VVe have learned to read and to enjoy poetry and drama. VVe have discovered our talent for acting in the drama and literature classes. Vile find that our practice in composition enables us to write and speak more easily and expressively in other classes. VVe are happy to realize that we are eliminating many of our more flagrant misnses of our language, for we recognize the value of good speech and the effect that it has on other people. Some of us have discov- ered that we have ability in creative work that we had not before realized, some of us have written excellent poetry and prose. l16l Miss Hyzer, Mr. likeberg, Miss Burr Miss Ballard, Miss Gibson, Miss Olander Miss Geddes, Miss Hiland. Miss Broderick Miss Condon, Miss Zwolanek Miss

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MUSIC-A CULTURAL INCIDENT IN OUR LIVES The purpose of all musical education within the school is to have us live more richly and successfully through contributing musical experiences. These experiences arc the IlSt6Il1Hg, the performing, and the creating of music in the bclief that it will mean most to us and others now and later. Through our music department we rcccive entertainment as well as education. VVhen we had completed our required music work in seventh grade, many of us dis- covered that we had talent and that we should like more musical training. Therefore. we elected advanced music courses. At present we have four elective music courses. Music l, II, III, and IV. The last named course, Music IV, has been only recently added. During the year we have, as usual, given two popular performances, the Christmas concert and the operetta. The Cvlee Clubs and the Girls' Operetta Club also participated in these performances. The Christmas concert, given on the Sunday before the holidays began, was attended by a large audience. A beautiful cantata, in keeping with the spirit of Christmas, was given. Later this cantata was presented to the school in Christmas assemblies, On the day on which school closed, the music department furnished a group of carolers, who strolled through the corridors singing the lovely old Christmas carols. I The great event of the year, musically, was the operetta, Penny Buns and Roses, given April twenty-first and twenty-second at matinee performances and April twenty- third at an evening performance to which a large crowd of parents and friends came. Radio broadcasts over VVROK were happy events for many of us. VVe sang various types of music nl order to acquaint the radio audience with the wide range of songs we sing. Like all of our work in junior high, music helps to prepare us for life in the future: like all the work, it is of even greater importance in making our present life successful. VVC are developing our talents, we are becoming better listeners to music performed by others, and we are finding much pleasure in creating music. The band and orchestra, very important divisions of our musical life, are discussed in the section devoted to entertainments. A rehearsal for a broadcast. f13l Mr. Elmquist. Miss Needham, Mr. Bornnr Miss Larson, Miss Gustafson, Mrs. Angus