Baton Rouge High School - Fricassee Yearbook (Baton Rouge, LA)

Page 14 text:

i commute between BRHS and other local high schools or I • LSD. The Performing Arts Department offers such-courses as | Introduction to Drama, Methods and Styles of Acting, Music, [• Theater Work Shop, television production, and radio produc- • tion. The major competitive sports such as football and basket [ ball were replaced with lifetime ' sports. Education classes f were divided so that students could concentrate on one par-| ticular sport or get a taste of them all. All P.E. classes are co | ed. The swimming classes are transported daily to the YMCA I by bus. The gymnastics classes have the best equipment [ available to high schools to work with. Adequate tennis 1 courts are available on campus to provide tennis classes a | place to practice. The dance classes are held in the specially, j designed dance lab. For those students wanting a touch of I; it all a class in life and team sports is available. The most important part, acquiring students, was next. | | Principal Lee Faucette traveled from school to school. Stu-| dents were selected from every school in the parish in y accordance with their grades, work, and talents. | Now that it was all set, would it work? i The school opened for its first semester with an enroll- 2 ment of approximately 800 students. The first week was I Individual sports jpice P.E. choices

Page 13 text:

past few years. Soon, work began to prepare the old school for the new curriculum. A special floor was installed in one classroom along with a wall of mirrors to create the present dance lab. The walls were painted and the library was enlarged. The home economics building was remodeled to become the Performing Arts Center. In this building a minitheatre, television studio, and a FM radio station were installed. The changes in curriculum had to be established. It was decided that requirements to be admitted to the new school would be a 2.5 average overall for the past three semesters prior to entering the school. Once a student has been admitted, he is expected to maintain the 2.5 average overall and a 3.0 in his major. Majors were a new idea to students. Each student was expected to place special emphasis on one subject this being his major. New courses were established. These were planned around the curriculum and the needs of the students. Special teachers were hired to teach classes which were offered only one period. Some of these faculty members were to

Page 15 text:

filled with excitement. Students had to adjust to the new j schedule of rotating classes. T V. cameras and reporters i filled the halls. The students were rather quiet until they realized that they weren’t the only ones who didn’t know anyone. Many new friendships were established the first iweek. Students soon found that the more flexible they were the easier it was to adjust. By the end of the first year it was clear that one of the allows classes to prepare materials, perform actual work, and clean-up all in one class period. For example, the swimming class has enough time to drive to the “Y”, undress, swim for an hour, dress, and drive back to school. The 1976-1977 school year was quite successful. The school managed to survive under all the stresses and strains. During the year a literary magazine F OTPORRI, was established, CAMPUS CURRENTS replaced “the Buzzer, aspects of the school liked best by the students and faculty and a radio license was granted to WBRH. The students was the schedule. Classes were rotated so that you attended were able to solve such problems as whether to retain the only four classes a day, three days a week for an hour and a school colors and mascot or chance new ones without great half. The benefits from a schedule are quite evident. It problems. College-type class schedule continues. Opening 11