Berkeley High School - Olla Podrida Yearbook (Berkeley, CA)

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Science is the principle means by which man has escaped the brief, brutal and frightening existence of early man to advance to where he now understands an appreciable number of forces affecting him and has gained the ability to control or adjust many of these forces, says Mr. Henry Nelson. Mr. Alvin Caburi Mr. Harry Choulett Mr. James Dickey Mr. Robert Dunk Mr. Urion Galin Mr. Robert Hamilton Mr. Clesson Harvey Mrs. Barbara Lewis Mr. Clayton Little Mr. Edgar Manske Mrs. Emily Moore Mr. Jefferson Nash Mr. Alexander Panasenko Mr. Bruce Whipperman Additional Education Dept. Helps Students achieve greatest potential The philosophy of the Additional Education Services de- partment, says Mrs. Eleanor Lund, chairman, who instituted it 14 years ago, is that every mentally, physically and edu- cationally handicapped student is entitled to the educa- tion which makes it possible for him to develop his great- est potential in academic subjects and to achieve occu- pational adequacy. One of the most valuable developments, says Mrs. Lund, has been the work experience program. This was started seven years ago by Mr. Douglas Boyce. Under this program s tudents attend classes for a portion of the day and participate in realistic work situations for on-the-job training during the remainder of the day. After high school graduation, these students have the opportunity of re- turning for conferences with work co-ordinators for further job planning and assistance in job placement. Most recent phase of additional education, started in 1965, is the program for the benefit of those whose pre- high school education has been deficient. Students who had not been well taught how to read, to understand mathematics and other basic courses were aided in catch- ing up in classes taught by Mrs. Miriam Pollock. The basic principle in the program for the visually im- paired is that the blind and partially sighted students should have the skills to participate as fully as possible — Photo by Chris Hum Mrs. Eleanor Lund confers with students Freddie Davis, standing, and Laurie Gundelfinger. in the mainstream of Berkeley High school student life, said Mr. Thomas Kellis, resource teacher. His program provides Braille, recorded and large print materials for the students, allowing them to take part with their sighted fellow classmates in the classroom. The students take all the required subjects and are involved in other courses such as orchestra, shop, journalism, chorus, home-making and art. They also participate in sports and after-school clubs. The ten totally blind students at Berkeley High also re- ceived instruction in orientation and mobility. These are skills necessary to move about independently using the white cane.

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Music, Stagecraft, Drama, Dance combined info Performing Arts The Performing Arts Department was established last year, combining music, stagecraft, drama and dance production administratively into one unit. A brief resume of the activities in which the many aspects of the combined arts are utilized shows the necessity for forming this department, according to chairman Robert Pearson. Its first production this year was Bertold Brecht ' s Caucasion Chalk Circle in October. The Decem- ber program was a variety of Christmas music, en- compassing drama, dance and imaginative dance interpretation of a Bach cantata and Handel ' s Halie- luia Chorus. Each semester two concerts were pre- sented with repertoires ranging from St. Saens Third Symphony to the Schubert G Major Mass. Crea- tive dance productions were presented at the end of each semester. Stagecraft and design were intimately involved in all productions. Besides presenting the spring play in March and the musical in May, the exceptional students were also given opportunity to perform at two chamber music concerts as well as participating in such extra- curricular organizations as the Madrigal Singers, Mime Troupe and the Pep Band. New curriculum innovations last year were the Assembly Production class and the Jazz oriented class Backgrounds of Music. Performing Arts students went to other schools and into the community to perform more than 30 pro- grams: the Band at the University of California and the high school football and basketball games, choral and instrumental ensembles toured junior high and elementary schools and service clubs. Drama classes toured elementary schools and plays and helped pro- mote participation by elementary students in theatri- cal projects. Representatives of the band, orchestra and choral groups were selected to participate in the Honor groups at the Las Vegas convention of Music Educators. Mr. Nelson says He Believes Science Is a Liberal Art for Everyone. Mr. Henry Nelson, head of the Science Department, says Mr. John Manley he believes science is a liberal art for everyone. It is, he says, something which should give the flavor of what science is doing and has done, but avoids an excessive number of facts. Science represents one of the most prominent attempts on the part of man to comprehend himself and his environment, and place him where he can predict and control events. Mr. Nelson says, Science is the principle means by which man has escaped the brief, brutal and frightening existence of early man to ad- vance to where he now understands an appreciable number of forces af- fecting him and has gained the ability to control or adjust many of those forces. Mr. Nelson feels that the study and application of science has been one of the dominant reasons for the spreading of Western European civilization over much of the world. Continuing, Mr. Nelson states, No one can deny the’ important place that science occupies in controlling the type of life which man leads. And there is every reason to assume that in the future the effects on man ' s thinking and the very way he lives will be even more evident. Upon conclusion, Mr. Nelson states, The content of the science classes and the methods used is the teaching of science courses has changed markedly in the last few years. The members of the science department have been active in instituting these changes. — Photo by Jerry McClain Mr. Robert Pearson is Chairman of the recently established Performing Arts Department. He directs Concert Chorale and the Madrigal Singers. Mr. Pearson was a professional singer before he began teaching at Berkeley High School. Mr. William Elliott Mrs. Jacqueline Hardester Mr. Peter Kleinbard Mrs. Pearl Lindstrom Mr. Robert lutt Miss Diane MacDonald — Photo by Jerry McClain Mr. Henry Nelson, Head of the Science 25 Department, is explaining a principle to his Physics I elass.

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— Photo by Chris Hum Mr. Wenrich and his staff frequently met to discuss student counseling and guidance problems. Left to right at this meeting were: Mr. Richard Jaulus, Mr. Herbert Singer, Mr. Wallace Scott, Mr. Vernon Wenrich, Mr. Richard Endsley, Mr. William Sherrill, Mr. William Daoust, Dr. Alden Olson, Mrs. Helen Cassidy, Miss Patricia Kemper, Mrs. Bonnie Rice, Mr. Palmer Whitted, Mr. Albert Auch, Mr. Jay Aungst, Dr. John Urlaub, Mr. Milton Loney, and Mr. Walter Thompson, a visitor. Miss Ruth Jennings was absent. Mr. Thompson was from PACT (Plan of Action for Challenging Times). PACT aids disadvantaged people. The section of PACT that Mr. Thompson represented is concerned with students needing financial aid and information to continue their educa- tion. He urged BHS counselors to send students to PACT. Counseling More Complex Berkeley High school ' s counselors now have offices in the new counseling center of the B building. Each counselor last year had a group of 270 to 280 students for whom he was responsible. This was favorable, in comparison to other schools, in which each coun- selor had as many as 500 said head counselor Mr. Vernon Wenrich. Each counselor advised a group of students from 9th to 12th grades — Photo by Chris Hum M rs. Dorothy Waltz serves as secretary to all the counselors. Her duties in- clude typing letters of recommendation for colleges, recording the tally of class enrollments and various other clerical chores. Her helper, Maureen Lim, waits for instructions. and handles their educational, vocational and sometimes personal problems. They were re- sponsible for the welfare and advancement of the students, said Mr. Wenrich, and to this end they worked with students, teachers and parents. They worked with departments of admissions at colleges and furnished all interested students with details of available scholarships. Mr. Wenrich counseled students from each grade. He also worked with vice-principal Mr. Ray Hitch to balance classes at the beginning of the term, and directed the counselors. Counseling is more complex than it was 10 years ago, he said. It is more demanding. College admissions and job requirements are more difficult. Education itself is more important before going to work. The student and counselor both have more to learn. He focused on the changes in counseling. There are many more student programs such as accelerated placement and new scholarship programs, he said. Mr. Wenrich was chairman of the BHS Scholarship Committee which awards scholar- ships controlled by the Honor Society. A much higher percentage of students are interested in going on in school, He said. Fewer and fewer students are terminal here. They go on to col- lege, vocational schools or job training and as everything else becomes more complex, so does counseling. As people approach the end of three years of high school, they have a lot of growing and learning to do. The greater part of learning is self-education. Self-development, too, does not end. Both learning and devlopment are con- tinuous processes. 27