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

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CLEANING THE ATTIC It was Saturday, a beautiful day and I had to clean out the attic. I hated it! First of all I opened a big chest full of old books. I read a few of them and then stacked them in neat piles in the chest. The second chest I opened was full of old snaps. Some of them were of my mother when she was young. The third and last chest was full of dresses that were too small for Mother. Suddenly, I had a good idea! I got dressed in a plain dress and a blond wig. Then I went downstairs where Mother was working. I went outsid-e and rang the bell. Mother came to answer the door. Oh, hello. I'm your new neighbour, I said in a high-pitched voi-ce. I heard there was a new neighbour, said Mother, Would you like to stay for coffee? That would be very nice, I said. I really disliked coffee. I sat down and Mother brought the coffee . . . I drank a little bit, then spluttered and coughed. What's the matter? Mother asked. Just then the wig felt uncomfortable. By accident it slipped off. Barbara! You've been playing a joke on me, said Mother in surprise. You really did fall for it, I laughed. Well, you better go back and clean the attic, said Mother. Too bad, I said as I wen-t upstairs. I didn't get out of the job of cleaning the attic. BARBARA MORRIS - Grade V THE HAUNTED Mlll An old musty building and not one single person has been near it sin-ce that weird thing has been around, they all said. That afternoon, as Alice walked home, she thought to herself, Oh, they're just old timers. What do they know about it. Why, I'll just go and see it as soon as I get home. What Alice was in for, she didn't know. As she changed from her clean, white blouse and her green tartan skirt to her jeans, she thought, I thifnk they're silly to believe that there is some thing in the mill. Alice told her mother where she was go- ing andthoughtfully walked down the street. Soon she came to where the woods began, and walked through the woods to the mill. Alice walked for what seemed miles, then out of the ground rose a tall and weed-covered build- ing. As she walked closer, the old building seemed, not a frightening place, but a friend. Suddenly, something behind her knocked her down! She was about to stifle a scream when she saw, not the weird thing as she had su-pposed, but a sweet little fawn. She followed it till it entered the mill, then she paused. What would lie ahead. Alice wasn't sure, as she entered the lonely, desolate place. Almost before she stepped in, a weird whistling noise made Alice jump. She turned around quickly to see nothing but a small hole in the wall where the wind had been blowing through, but that wasn't all! Slowly a weird, white figure passed by the hole. A streak of fright passed down her back like a cold hand. Come on now, Alice, she said firmly, you don't believe in ghosts, do you? She made up her mind quickly, and cau- tiously she walked to what seemed like a door and looked around where the strange figure had been. Oh! she screamed with laughter and re- lief, It isn't a ghost at all. It's just an old rag. Why, I must have seen it as it fell from this nail, she pointed at a rusty old nail. What fools they are to believe in such rub- bish. But I'l1 let them have their little game and I won't tell. JANE LAWSON - Grade V FIIN WITH FRENCH On February 16, the parents of the junior students attended a demonstration of a new teaching method of French conversation, con- ducted by Madame Ragot - Bonjour Line . After watching slides and listen-ing to correlated tapes, the students repeated in French the explanation of each picture. This method captures the interest of the young students, and furthers their ability to con- verse in French. Both the parents and the pupils enjoyed the demonstration, and appre- ciated the afternoon of Fun with French. BON!0llR UNE Bonjour Line i-s our new method of learn- ing French conversation. Grades IV, V and VI use this new method. There are twelve les- sons in all. It's easy and enjoyable to learn because the stories are exciting and because of the slides. We have tapes for each lesson and we repeat the words after it. Wednes- days we have a French visitor, Madame Ragot whom we all like very much. We also have a better accent now because of the tape and because we can't speak English at the lesson. We hope that the grades below us will like it as much as we have. JANE LAWSON and BARBARA MORRIS -- Grade V Tll'f'I1f,ll jim'

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f f Z f I J I X xxxxxs- f f S Q' , ' 4 6 Z Z Zffyfffyffyff, ,, ,, , . THE LOCKED DOOR Once upon a time Rex and William were going to take a tour of an old castle. They were anxious to see the castle because of the knights in shining armour, lances, swords, battleaxes and shields. When they went on Wednesday -they found out that they had to go around with a guide. 'Ilhey followed a party up and down long wide hallways. They were so interested in the orna- ments hanging from the walls that they didn't notice the party was far ahead. Soon Rex turned and asked where the party was. I don't know, replied William. The two boys ran up and down the wide halls calling for the party, but it did no good. It seemed difficult because the voices echoed from every side. Then they saw a door and thought the party had gone through it but it wa-s locked. Rex said, Maybe there is a secret button to get in? So the -boys set to work. They pressed the picture nearby but nothing happened. Then Rex tripped and fell on the toe of a statue and the heavy door opened. They walked in and saw many lovely paintings and rows and rows of books so they thought it was a place for storing pre- cious thing. Then BANG and as the door closed a painting fell. They saw a small door behind the painting. When they opened it, they saw a tunnel and so they climbed through. Finally they saw a speck of light and knew they were coming to the end of the tunnel. Finally when they got out of the tunnel they saw the party and called to them and the guide helped them down. Later they found out that the room they had discovered was a place to store precious books and pantings of an old King and Queen. Men had been searching for this place for hundreds of years and Rex and William had found it. DARCY MCKEAG - Grade VI 'hrenty jour N- dlll r T- N I V Spring Spring is come, The winter's o'er, The falling snow Shall be no more The small birds chirp, The children play, And everything, Is bright and gay. Now trees are in bud And flowers in bloom, Old Sol is shining And gone is the gloom. PAT DABRUS - Grade VI JUNIOR CAROL SER VICE This year, under the direction of Miss Martin, the junior School presented their own Carol Service. It was a refreshing and orig- inal prodiuction. Each class participated in its own portion of the Service, with Choral readings and Carols which everyone sang. Mary, Joseph, the angels and the slhefpfherds were portrayed very naturally. We hope the junior School will have its own Carol Service another year for it not only gave them great plea-sure to display their own talents but provided an opportun- ity for the parents to appreciate their efforts.

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THE GOLDEN Fl UTE .Once upon a time there was a prince Johnathan. To his friends. he was known as John. He had a flute, but what John did not ignow was that it wasga pure? golden flute. He could play his flute very well and when he did the whole castle rang with music. One day John was talking to his father. He heard someone playing his flute. Away he went to see who was playing this flute. He found his flute on his bed where he had left it that morning. Suddenly he saw a lovely sight. It was a Fairy Queen dressed in a gown of soft- est silk. She picked up the flute and said to John, Did you know that this flute is of pure gold? No,'l said John in a hurry. John ran to his father and said, Father, father, this flute is of pure gold. The Fairy Queen said so. His father said, Where did you get that nonsense about Fairy Queens? Go away and let me work. John went out smiling. He knew he had seen a Fairy Queen and she had said, Your flute is of pure gold? .f .- ,vvwl 5 Q KAREN RICHARDSON Grade IV .v i . -'wr i THE MONKEY AND THE WISHES One upon a time there was a little, little baby monkey. A magic fairy came along and gave him a wish. He wished for a big giant flower. He went to his little house in his ground and there this big giant flower started growing underneath him. In the morning he worke up and he found out he was on a big giant flower. It was right by a rainbow. He slid down the rainbow and he found the magic pot of wishing gold that every rainbow has. He made a wish from it and then he made the wish that the flower would grow back down when he got on it. He went back and got on the flower and it started growing back down. He went back to his mother and then they lived happily ever after. MARY BETH BEENHAM-Grades! , My Carefree I-'fiend I have a handsome mare ' Who canters in the sun,E She is beautiful and fair If p And is always gay and' On gentle summer days H I see her roll in pasture green, She jumps up to go and graze In nearby spots l've never seen. LESLEY DAVID - Grade VI 4 ' . wigw 1 N WINTER FUN lllvmity Sim