Academy of Mount Saint Vincent - Chastellux Yearbook (Tuxedo Park, NY)

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dHabla Usted Espanol? Si! Parlez-Vous Francais? Oui! Loquerisne Latinam? Sic! SISTER GERTRUDE MIRIAM Spanish Dpartment Her summer in Mexico on an N D E A grant through the University of Wichita, Kansas, and her weeks in Spam last spring nave given SISTER GERTRUDE MIRIAM firsthand experience of the social and cul- tural background of Spanish speaking countries. As a result her Spanish courses are an enriching experi ence for her students. Using the Language Labora tory two or three days each week, all students ac- quire the ability to communicate and converse in Spanish with confidence and many do so with fluency. This year. Seniors and Juniors are undertak- ing extensive readings of modern Spanish and His- panic writers. The National Spanish Honor Society has again proved an incentive to all Sister’s students to attain and maintain high scholastic ratings in Spanish. Below — This picture was taken at the Airport the evening SISTER GERTRUDE and a group of students and their friends flew to Spam last Spring. Besides the development of the ability to com- municate in a foreign language and the social understanding of the life of persons in other lands, the cultural and aesthetic appreciation for individual growth is an important aim of all three Language Departments — Spanish, French and Latin (which we might call the an- cient form of modern Italian). The fact that here at the Academy we have students from Mexico, Puerto Rico and Central America is an asset in many ways.

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YVMl lS Since Algebra and Geometry are the basic Mathematics courses in the Academy, MRS. CLEARY'S primary aim in these courses has been a complete understanding and mastery of the theories and concepts in the N.Y.S. Syllabus. The wealth of filmstrip material available in the Academy will provide special assignments for more advanced stu- dents. Students in all MRS. CLEARY’s classes have been trained to do their homework assignments on acetate, and use the Overhead Projector to present their solutions to the class. The advantages of this method are incalculable. MRS. CLEARY bubbles over with enthusiasm for her subject — and in fact for the Academy — but her students often find Math hard. One finally acted as spokesman for the class and said MRS. CLEARY, we miss SUELLEN koelsch don't love Math, but we do love you!” Not to would be impossible! Physical Science and Mathematics Discovery is the aim of MISS KOELSCH’s Physical Science Course. In it she plans to use the I P S system — a self-discovery program. Besides Physical Science, MISS KOELSCH also teaches three Math courses: Math XI, XII and Intermediate Algebra. Her classes are di- vided into groups so that more capable students can move on and discover on their own. In Intermediate Algebra MISS KOELSCH is striving to develop self-confidence in her students, and although she is following the text rather closely, she is introducing some college math — including matrices. MATH XII is a seminar class, using college Set Theory. . . . MISS KOELSCH hopes to introduce her students to Topology. Each student in this course is working on an outside project, teaching herself something new in Math. MISS KOELSCH is a Graduate of Good Counsel College and is study ing for her Master s Degree at Fordham. 23

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MRS. ROSE CAMILLE KRAUS French Department To provide beginners with a workable vocabulary and the ability to express themselves in colloquial French has been the aim of SISTER THERESA GRAVINO in her teaching of French 1. Dramatization, poster making and other devices have made the introduction to a foreign language a pleasurable experience for beginners. The ability to interpret unfamiliar words through a knowledge of Latin, the enrichment that results from a knowledge of classic myths and literature, and the im- portance of Latin for any student planning a profes- sional career, are three incentives SISTER THERESA GRAVINO’s Latin students soon learn to appreciate. The Latin Convention at Mahwah Junior-Senior High School is an affair they enjoy each spring. There are translation contests, Olympic Games, and a Roman Cena” which they attend dressed in togas. MARY BURKE. '72. attended her sister's Christmas wedding in Rome and returned with firsthand information of places her class has been studying about. SISTER THERESA GRAVINO Latin and French Departments Shortly after ROSE CAMILLE GENTILE had come to the Mount in September 1968, she announced her engage ment. During the summer of 1969 she was married and now, as MRS. JOSEPH KRAUS, she has returned to con- tinue teaching French 2 and 3 at the Academy. In both of these courses she continues to stress French gram- mar and usage, to train her students to converse in French, and to give them a knowledge of French cus- toms, institutions, and artistic and literary master- pieces. MRS. KRAUS encourages her students to read French literature, and urges them not to limit them- selves to their textbooks alone. Among her innovations this year MRS. KRAUS has used more records — songs, poems, etc. — more visual aids, and has introduced Games-in-French, including BINGO! 25