Brackenridge High School - La Retama Yearbook (San Antonio, TX)

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Brack curriculum Latin, taught by Mr. James Falbo, is another of the first-time languages offered at Brackenridge. The main objective of this course is to enhance students’ English vocabulary and broaden the students’ horizons of life. “Latin is a good language because it helps the student to better understand English,” said Mr. Falbo. ABOVE FAR LEFT: Mr. James Falbo (L) gives Jackie Parker correct pronunciation of Latin verb. ABOVE LEFT: Hispanic culture students Gloria Jaimez (L) and Maria Martinez tour Mission San Jose. ABOVE: Mr. Winston Miles, Negro history instructor, gives class nine branches of Swahili language. ABOVE RIGHT: Daniel Estrada (L) gets pronunciation correction from German instructor, Mr. Arthur Noack. RIGHT: Betty Pecina studies for French test. 13

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3 new languages, 2 histories invade Brack’s academic curriculum has also undergone change. This year three new languages and two histories were added. They are Hispanic-American and Negro history, French, German, and Latin. The main objective of the Hispanic-American history course, according to Mr. Gilberto Canales, instructor, is to provide Brack students a clear, concise, and comprehensive analysis of the historical approach. He said, “It should help the Spanish-speaking student to better understand himself and his heritage. Likewise, it will help all to appreciate the rich legacy which Texas and the Southwest have inherited from the Spanish.’’ During the development of these United States certain groups who came here have been excluded from full participation in the freedoms provided under the Constitution. Contributions by members of these groups to the development of America have not been fully understood or appreciated. One such group is the American Negro. Negro history, according to Mr. Winston Miles, instructor, has been set up to do three things. First, it is designed to enhance students’ knowledge of Negro contri- butions to the United States in order to lead to an understanding and appreciation of cultural differences. Second, it will encourage Negro students to appreciate each individual’s right to personal human dignity. Third, and most important, it is striving to get all Negro students to develop pride in their heritage and to value the heritages of others. Brack also has three new languages. The purpose of French is to give Brackites an opportunity to learn to speak French. It also gives the student a better understanding of English and Spanish, and it is also one of the necessary languages to enter many colleges. “In class,” Mr. Arthur Noack said, “students will have the opportunity to study German culture and view German works of art.” German is usually for students who desire knowledge of and who are interested in the scientific and mathematical fields. It is also for students who wish to know how the German people came to Texas and how they influenced the Texas community and helped make it what it is today. 12

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Vocational office A trio of new vocational courses was also added to the Brackcnridge curriculum in the fall of 1969. They are prc-vocational office education. VOE. and distributive education. The pre-vocational laboratory instructional program is designed so each learner receives many opportunities to participate in office-like experiences. It is planned to provide students with activities necessary to develop vocational competence for a secretarial career. The objective of lab training is to provide students with an understanding and appreciation of the work office programs. Since training is on an individualized basis, a rotation schedule is set up for each student. The student spends a specific amount of time on a particular machine and then is rotated to another. Included in the rotation schedule are. practice sets in bookkeeping, filing, office automation, business math and English, and key punch. Pre-VOE is taught by Mrs. Mary Lee Dunn, who has taught at Burbank and the University of Texas at El Paso. VOE is designed for seniors in business education whose curriculum combines on-the-job training with occupationally related classroom instruction. education, pre-VOE, It provides for the college bound as well as for the student who will seek full-time employment. Twenty-one Brackites receive on-the-job training as part of VOE. The majority work cither at state or national government installations such as Kelly or Brooks Air Force bases or the state tuberculosis hospital. Distributive education is taught to 30 Brackites by Mr. E. M. Foxx, a new member of the faculty. This course teaches skills and techniques in salesmanship, merchandising, retailing, and business communications.