Balmoral Hall School - Optima Anni Yearbook (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada)

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lf? r-. - Hair Cuts Short hair, or long hair, Thick 'hair or thin The barber will soon Make you neat and trim. Scissors in hand Hair held to the 'fore, Snip, snip and the strand Falls fast to the floor. Around to the side The scissors snip on, Your heart in its stride Skips a beat and goes on. Now from the back Your hair leaves your head Alas and alack! Oh! Those curls you have shed! The other side now Is shaped like the first Your eyes-will you dare Them to seek-do you durst? You look, you marvel No doubts and no buts , No need anymore To fear haircuts! Susan Carnegie, Grade XI. Wanted - Inspiration Seated at my desk surrounded by paper, pens, pencils, erasers, a coke for inspiration, and a dictionary fwhich I'll r1eed!j, I am no-w going to write a story for the school magazine. First one must have a topic, then develop it, preserving unity, coherence and emphasis fthis is from the grammar note bookj and keep the reader's interest. What shall I write about? A bear at camp? Two girls get up in the middle of the night to get a drink of water. Al-l is dark and still. On the return journey they hear the 'bushes rustle ofi' to one side, but they think nothing of it. In the morning they learn that a large animal had, some- time that night, knocked a huge hole in the cocoa barrel with one giant paw. I-Iow about a new family moving in next door? You could describe the furniture that arrived, and speculate on the new occupants. When finally they arrive you find you are completely wrong in your guesses. Perhaps the trials of a locker or desk during a school day? Afraid not. It has been done! A trip into Minnesota! Ah! That was terrific! We did not get anywhere near Minneapolis, and forgot the cameras! What about the first spring flowers to bloom in our garden? The peony bushes! They blossom early because they are over the central heating pipe. Here is an example of modern invention giv- ing Mother Nature a push, They brighten up the rather drab world which the melted snow leaves, before the trees 'turn green. Time is ticking off fast! I have to think of something! Amusing -incidents of the Christmas Village? I can think of a few inci-dents, but they are not amusing. A love story is out of the question . . , The adventures of an insect? In consulting a previous magazine I find it has been done. I do not wish to practise plagiarism! A murder mystery! That, I am afraid is a little difficult for a short story-one needs the 'length of a whole book or novel. CPaper backed?j Ah! A large skating party on the river to raise funds for some organization or other. The mayor falls into the water, where the ice is weakened by an emptying drain. fExcuse me, Your Wors-hiplj A poem would 'be much easier! Eight lines, the minimum! Unfortunately, I am not one of those charmed people who create a perfect rhyme in moments. j I shall remain chewing my pencil and drawing on my coke for several more hours. Then I shall crawl wearily to bed, leaving behind many blank sheets, and many more covered with doodles. I have to find something to write about! Wanted, just an inspiration. jennifer Steward, - Grade X. The Struggle It falls, Alone and desolate Upon the lonely crag, Destined to start a journey Toward a skyward goal. Then comes the winter, bleak and cruel, It stands aloof Unaided, yet unconquered. Through timeless time Within its core It longs for spring. . . The rain begins. The earth is fresh. The journey is continued. Until the prize for which it fought The final stance which it has sought Is reached. The seedling has become a tree. Judy Smith, Grade XI.

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m My V gg I3 'Oh, all right, I'll be right therel' With that I turned to my friend and said, 'Now don't go away. I'll be back soon.' I scam-pered off to 'help my sister and when we were al'1 in the house I gathered -my sisters together and -told 'them about my discovery. Bar- bara was very inquisitive and wanted me 'to de- scribe it. When I told 'her it had big 'black eyes and streaks of red, yellow, blue and white covering its brown skin, s'he turned very pale, rose from her chair, and walked over to the window. I did not know what was wrong wi'th her, 'but when she screamed, ran to the door and locked it, and then ran back to us, I was quite excited and wanted to know what had happened. She hurried us into Mo-mmie's 'bedroom where she whispered some- thing to Anne and then ran out shutting the door behind her. Wonnetta and I were very anxious to End out what had caused Barbara's frenzy, and finally discovered that Indians were outside. I re- member that I hardly knew the meaning of the word, but Wonnetta told me that they were cruel, cruel men who lived in Canada. The -thought that my little pet had turned out to be an Indian was too much for me to bear, and I 'burst into tears. Barbara soon returned and in a very consoling tone said, 'We must all be very brave girls and do just what Mommie and Daddy would want us to do. Now, everyone kneel down and pray just as hard as you can.' While we were in that position Barbara must have slipped out of the room, for in 'a few minutes we heard a great commotion out in the kitchen. I peeped through a crack in the wall and saw a number of -my friends walking around grabbing everything they saw. W'hen the house was prac- tically devoid of articles, they left. When Mommie and Daddy came home that nigh-t we burst forth with the story of our vis- itors. There were a great many questions asked and answered, but my one question . . . 'But, Mommie, why did Barby 'let them take all our nice things and all our good food?' was never answered. The only response I received was a big hug followed by kisses and sobs l Grandmothers story had answered my question. Pioneers! Indeed, they were. Diana Duncan, Grade XII. A well-written story with an ably handled beginning and ending. The style is pleasantly free and natural. Sunshine Sketches of Balmoral Hall QProof that, despite sub-zero temperatures, the sun DOES shinej. The sun shines bright in your old Kentucky home In Peru, St. P-ierrot, Napoli- There life is warm and life is cheery- But where you are it's only dreary- but once when I was doing the requisites of doing a wee one said, Are you and Diana sis- ters? Someone overhearing 'sneered- 'Cou1se! They are twins, aren't they? Yes, said -the little one, I know they are twins 'bu't I wasn't sure if they were sisters. Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics and the rest Delight Einsteins and Leeuwenhoeks and the com-pany so blest. But we who-se minds cannot conceive The mystery of geometry Find little use for buoyant force And why light halts before a horse - but once, when my classmate had completed a form-perfect, back extension roll sur la boite and had picked herse-lf up off her head, she ex- claimed with 'the enthusiasm of Bell when he heard his wires talk, By jove, I saw them-I saw colloi- dal particles. Cosmeticians do exclaim- Funny, shiny nose!- Put on some powder, there, my dear, As lovely as a rose F but once I remember when powder caused a -ludiocrocy . The alarm bell from the pit sound ed. Jack, the only son, was in the first cage down. A horrified, crushed mother performs her dramatic start, but the powder from 'her grayed hair steals the show. Steins blending powder, atomic-explo sion fashion, rises regally above the stricken mother. People who know Cannot name The family which Perfection can claim- but I know a girl who thinks hers is the perfect family. I have 2 parents, she said, 2 sisters and 2 brothers . And so, m'loves The sun, she shines At here, as well as there. The question is-and answer true- Do you, and you, and you, and you? Dawna Duncan, Grade XII.

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. .15 Candles Candles-relics of the past, dreams of the future. The dazzling brightness of myriads of candles re- flected in the mirrors of a ballroom, the comforting flicker of a single candle -moving silently through the dark wards. The pride of mother and father and the delighted gurgles over baby's first candle, the solemriity of candles burning over 'the coffin. The candle in the window lighting the way home for the weary traveller, candles stuck in bottles in a cellar cafe giving atmosphere to the -smoky haze and chatter, the candle in the 'lonely cabin lighting the worn, yelilowed page of The Book. Candle-light flattering the flushed happy 'faces of the young, softening the hard, lined faces of the old. Gay laughter drifting below the shining candelabra, her eyes meeting his over the two tall tapers. Yotmg-Hop-a-long extinguishing eight candles in one desperate 'blow after the wish is made, the candle flickering out in the deadly air-danger! The candle 'being quickly, furtively snuffed out at the sound of footsteps. There go the lights! 'Ilhe line must be down. Quick-someone light a candle! Crude, 'hand-dipped candles, stately ta rs in silver candlesticlcs, gay novel candles mouli-did into figurines, dignified candles gracing the House of God. Mary-Kaye Simpkinson, Grade XII. Grey Stockings One bright morning, we were told that grey stockings would be worn next Monday. From all over the gymnasium groans could 'be heard. When we got 'back to the classroom 'many grievous sounds were in the air. Everyone was complaining about wearing stockings. All that week the weather was sunny and grey stockings were not even mentioned. When Friday came we realized what we had to wear on Monday. Complaints 'began all over again. If Friday was sunny, 'then Monday was sure to be a lovely day. Monday came. Was any person wear- ing her green knee-highs? Why, everyone had on her long, grey stockings! Over the week-end it had snowed. We must wear grey stockings all winter, and wait patiently un-til the spring, when we can wear our green knee-highs once again. Diana Elwood, Grade VIII. A Grammar Lesson Teacher: Did you borrow that from me, or did you lend that from me? Pupil: You gave it to me, didn't you? TV or not TV? T.V. or not T.V.? Let's have a suggestion, Even Shakespeare would think This a difficult question. The teachers frown, they rant and thunder, Why is this work not done?' they wonder. And every morning the girls 'troop in With red-rimmed eyes and sagging chins, Bored to death with History and reason But really gone on jackie Gleason. And one girl, panting wild with glee Shouts, Li-berace winked at me! But after all is said and written, Is it not true the staff are smitten ? For who but 'they at twelve are seen Catching the show with Bishop Shean? Lyn Stephen, Grade X. A Fantasy of Letters As usual, at the end of -the hrst term of school, there were examinations. Frances Roy was a pupil in seventh grade. Frances was bright in most sub jects, -but she found spelling difficult. There were so many exceptions to the rules. Tomorrow was her spelling examination. Fran- ces studied her words in 'the speller as a parrot, repeating the spelling of the words over and over again. She asked 'her mother why so many words sounded -the same and yet were spelt differently. She was puzzled over why I was sometimes put before and at other times after E , U put after a Why should Y be a vowel in some instances and in others a consonant? Her mother said that she should study her word appreciation book to learn the answers, and sent her up to her room to do this. You need a good after you have read your sleep tonigh't, and so book for half an hour, if you still have problems, I'll try to answer them at breakfast, she told her. Frances was very tired and soon went to sleep with 'the book in her hand. In 'her sleep she heard a noise. There appeared before her a tiny man who had a face the shape of an O , two eyes composed of upside down D's , a mouth made of two C's' put together, hand and arms put together by I's , I.'s , T's , and l-I's , His