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

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28 THE SCHOOL CHOIR The Carol Service The crowded gymnasium, lit only by Christmas trees, was hushed, the students filed in slowly, carolling The First Noel . It was December nineteeth, the day of our annual Carol Service, when girls and parents pause in the Inidst of holiday hustle and bustle to be silent and to remember the true Ineaning behind the gifts, the happiness, and the beauty of Christmas. After a short prayer, the everflovely Christmas story was unfolded, transporting us to Bethlehem and to the foot of the manger. After the closing prayer, the School processed out to the joyful carol, Hark the Herald Angels Sing . A Scene in the Common Room Last Christmas the Common Room was a beautiful sight. At the far end of the room stood a huge Christmas tree, glittering gaily with the decorations and ornaments put up by the boarders. The green curtains were drawn together to give the room an extra touch of Christmas. The gaily wrapped presents lay under the tree, and as I looked at them it seemed to me such a pity that the boarders would open them later on in the evening. The colourful party dresses, which the girls wore, added to the glory of the party. This sight was a happy one indeed and it gave me a warm glow inside to realize how fortunate we were to be able to celebrate the birth of our Lord .Iesus Christ in this way. DIANE PHILLIPS, Grade IX The Music Recital In honour of St. Cecilia's Day, the twenty' second of November, a music recital was presented for the parents and staff by the piano pupils of Mrs. Bancroft and Miss Bibby. The programme began with a short, but informative speech about St. Cecilia, followed by St. Cecilia's hymn, Thy Kingdom Come, O God , sung by the School Choir. The pianists, who ranged from Grade IV to Grade XI, then presented a varied programme, including works of Tchaikowsky, Schubert, and Clementi. They performed ably and provided us with an excellent afternoon of music. The Christmas Dinner Smiles, party dresses, and food were the principal components of our Christmas dinner on December 18. The colourfully dressed girls and staff overflowed from the drawingfroom into the hall during the rousing carolfcocktails which began the evening. Mrs. Dennis and Miss Bibby accom' panied the carols on the piano, and played all our favourites. When the guests had arrived, the party prof ceeded to the dining room, where a turkey dinner was served to the bubbling crowd in the glimmer of candlelight. After dinner, the girls went to the Common Room to Ineet Santa , and the staff gathered in the drawing room for coffee. The friendly atmosphere and Christmas spirit of this evening will long be remembered.

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27 The Robins Down in the shade of the old oak tree, Two little robins hustle with glee. For they are building a sweet little nest, And are trying to make it their very best. Soon the mother lays five little eggs, Some days later out pop two legs. Then a head, and soon a breast, And one more robin's in this nest. Soon all five of the eggs are hatched, In this little nest so nicely thatched. And then quite soon they learn to fly, And away they go up in the sky. SANDY FUNNELL, Grade V Our Lady Spring Spring is a lady dressed in white, In green, in gold, in silver bright. She puts the land in summer wear And then works wonders everywhere. The little seeds in their tiny beds Raise their tiny, little heads. The plants shoot up at sight of Spring, And life, and joy to all she brings. The sun shines longer every day And all the leaves are out by May. The birds return and swell their song Over the earth, - loud and long . . . To Lady Spring whose loving hand Has wrought such wonders o'er the land. The Bear at the Fair There once was a little bear Who went to a city fair. He got into trouble When he fell in a puddle. PATRICIA PENNOCK, Grade III A Queer Man As I went home Along the street, I saw a man with seventy feet. His eyes were blue, His hair was neat, But, Oh! those funnyflooking feet! HEATHER CAMPBELL, Grade IV Castles in the Air You don't need loads of bricks and wood. Because it's quickly understood That castles which are built in air Are built of substances more fair Than any found within the land, And built so well of stones and sand. The windows shine like diamonds fair, While orange blossoms spice the air, The lands about are fair and green, And children play about the scene. For you can build them anywhere- These lovely castles in the air. MARGARET FISHER, Grade VIII A Seed Falls A seed A seed Falls Falls On sandy land, On thorny land, But lies And grows, And wilts But chokes In the sun. And dies. A seed A seed Falls Falls On stony land, On fertile land, It tries It grows To grow, And grows But fails. And forms a rose. NANCY ANN EATON, Grade VIII ROSALIND WALLACE. Grade VIII A Summer's Scene The song of the birds On a summeris day, The sound of children Happy and gay, The fragrance of flowers That wave in the breeze: The soft winds blowing Through the trees, The bright blue water Lapping the shore - It's a scene to remember For evermore. SUZANNB EVA NS, Grade VII

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Lecture on India On Monday, February 4th, the Reverend T. M. Dustan visited the School and talked to us of his work both as Headmaster of St. Paul's Boys' School, Palampur, and as a missionary for the Anglican Church of Canada. He spoke of the problems facing a country which lacks the unifying force of a common religion or common language. The boys of St. Paul's School, for example, may be Hindu, Moslem, Buddhist, Sikh or Christian, and very few would speak the national language, Hindi. This language is introduced in the early grades and involves learning a script unlike those of any of the dialects which might be the student's native tongue. English is taught from Grade Six onwards and is very imf portant since so many Indians go to Common' wealth countries or to the United States for higher education. Mr. Dustan illustrated his lecture with slides including beautiful views of the Taj Mahal and India's White House. We saw a striking mixture of the old and the new, the oxfdrawn plough within a few miles of fine modern buildings, the ragged beggar beside the educated Indian in European dress. Among the slides of St. Paul's School was one showing the boys at work rebuilding part of the school, and levelling the ground for the athletic field. From the impressive collection of trophies they had won at a recent meet, it was obvious that the boys were sports' enthusiasts. In summing up the ideals of the school, Mr. Dustan showed the school crest on which the lamps, open book and hockey sticks symbolize work and play, strengthened and illuminated by worship. AUDRBY LB MAISTIIE, Grade XII Gifts to the School Balmoral Hall is always happy to take this opportunity of saying thank you for gifts received during the year. We acknowledge grate' fully a painting by Bouchant, an organ which is used daily at Morning Prayers, a dozen and a half place settings for the Home Economics classes and also a Singer sewing machine, two table lamps for the Common Room, a record player for the Junior Library, chesterfield and chair for the Staff Room, numerous valuable books for the Senior and junior Library. As we send this Magazine to Press, we once again say, Thank you. 29 Lecture-Rehearsal Cn Tuesday, January 15th, about one hundred and fifty girls waited rather impatiently for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet to appear. At last, Mrs. Farrally, the Artistic Director, entered, followed by the dancers wearing practice costumes ee leotards and tights. f'Mrs. F. , as the girls often call her, introduced the Company, and while they took their places at the barre, she explained that dancers must always warm their muscles by doing exercises before starting a ballet. After this preliminary, we saw Roundelay by Ruthanna Boris, a ballet without a story, done just for fun, as Miss Boris put it. Some parts were rather slow and solemn, while others were so gay they almost made you laugh. When the stage' sets for Roundelay had been removed, Miss Boris appeared in a white costume of feathers and net, and danced the beautiful and famous Dying Swan . She was breathftakingly lovely, and so graceful that it was easy to imagine a swan in her place. This is a ballet which many dancers yearn to do, but few have the honour. I am sure that after this exciting afternoon many of the audience went home hoping that one day they too would learn to dance, and I know that everyone felt that it was a great privilege to have this special performance at the School. DONNA DAY WASHINGTON, Grade IX The Library The most interesting room in the School is the Library. There, without leaving the chair, we can be transported to farfoff places on a magic carpet. We can travel to the steaming jungles of India, the burning deserts of Africa, the heatherfclad slopes of Scotland, and the prairies and rolling hills of our own country. From our vantage point we can visit the different peoples of the world today and learn the customs and the problems which con' front them as individuals and as nations. There are also the wonderful characters of Dickens, delightful comedies and stark tragedies of Shakespeare, border stories of Scott, jungle tales of Kipling, or the amusing tales and characters of Mark Twain. These and a host of others provide much enjoy- ment, drama, and instruction for everyone. I therefore definitely believe the Library to be the most interesting room where the thoughts and teachings of the greatest minds the world has ever known are available to all who would seek them out. CAROL STIRUNG, Grade XI