Centennial High School - Eyrie Yearbook (Ellicott City, MD)

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Administrators Do More Than Just Administrate A eChaos.f Thatfis whatfa-school would be without its oadniinistraftors, In addition- to working out schedules, disciplining students, and coordinating daily activities, these offi+ cials also help to mold the personalityt of a School., ' p t Centennial? ,three administrators--Prim cipal Angelo Fortunate, Vice-principal, Bob Bastressgi and ,Adininistrative Assistant Clarence Millerf-madf? it their jobs to main- tain the ieommitmemt toy excellence they had made when the school opened in 1977. p As principal, Mtg Fortunato had to pre- pare the master, schedule and develop and enforcecperating procedures. He -felt that he -had formed one of the best staffs in the county,aone which was qualified, interested in students, and enthusiastic. He also be- lievedlthatg although Centennial had been very successful, thereiwas much-more to be doneg-ini the futuregfgrowth in quality and quantity of programs would be the main goals of the, schooly 1 Vice-principal ,Bastress agreed that ex- pansion was inthe future of Centennial. In addition-toshis, administrative duties, Mr. Bastress taught a chemistry class - a job whichhe, found more satisfying than his tasksias vice-principal: policing, maintain- ing the building, and, with parents, counse- ling students. i i f The third- administrator, Mr. Miller, also taught one class, College Algebra, and helpedfto discipline students. In addition he took care of general paperwork, standardized tests,,and 2scheduling.i Because of his exper- iences asl a math teacher at JohnsiHopkins and Wi1deLake, he firmly believed that Centennial, should remain a traditional school rather than become open space + a ,system which he considered non-stimula- ting. J A Mr. Fortunato summed up the administra- tion's philosophy: I hope that on gradua- tion-day, a student can look back and say 'Centennial-provided me with an arena of p self-exploration and development, provided encouragement and instruction, brought people together who were interested in me, and i prepared me for the world.' That is what I hope every student can say. 30 Administration J -Jil

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A x K ls . ,Y Ac d mic The main purpose of a school is to educate. A student's life could never get off the ground without the num- erous practical and not-so-practical pieces of knowledge gained in school: reading, writing, and arithmetic, typing, woodworking, and jumping jacks, cooking, history, and aug- mented chords, trig functions, chiaroscuro, and quarks. It is with these diverse pieces of information that a student can confidently make the transition from school to the career world. For most students the image conjured up by the word acade- mics, would be one of growing, slave-driving teachers, impossible and unfair tests, and unappetizing units on Shakespeare and statistical analysis. Impressions such as these form under the continual pressures a,ai.sww-fa-...,..,, X 4 g r . ,.,, s. . , ' , M of homework assignments piling up or impending major tests and pro- jects. These perceptions, however, are usually only temporary, for the years spent in high school are pro- bably the happiest one will ever en- counter in life-just ask any nostal- gic adult! But most importantly, the topics which once seemed irrelevant will later fall into place within a vast framework of knowledge form- ed by the student as he learns more and more about his world. Although exams, homework, spe- cial projects, and minimum com- petency tests are the bete noire of the majority of students, it is the academic courses, more than all the clubs, organizations, and activities of a school, which will influence and shape the futures of most. OPPOSITE: Fifty-minute lunch periods allowed students additional time for academic pursuits. Tim Dolan ponders the complex symbolism incorporated in a novel and Mindy Derrek curls up with a magazine. ABOVE: After gathering numerous reference materials, freshman Johnny Winters plunges into a project. BELOW: Hoping to un- scramble countless conjugations, Spanish student Kathy Brand studies verb forms. Academics 29

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Secretaries Organize ' E iii f 'Rf ef, 51.1, I . ' J .M,,7j' ' ' .. 1. 'f,,?On np, OPPOSITE, ABOVE: Administrative Assistant Clarence Miller is the chairman ol' the Maryland Council of Teachers of Mathematics and also a teacher of giifted youngsters at Johns Hopkins. At Centennial heteaches another class of brilliant math whizzes College Algebra in the faculty dining room. Here in a typical scene his quick and eager pupils cheerfully raise their hands becuase they all have the correct answer to the third-degree equation on the board. OPPOS1 TE, MIDDLE: Vice-principal Bob Bastress is responsible for maintaining' order in Centennial. In an unusuaiiye quiet moment, he preparesa lesson plan for his chemistry 'class away from the clamor of his disciplinary duties. OPPOSITE, BOTTOM:The Administration: Administrative Assistant Clarence Miller, Principal Ange- lo Fortunate tseatedb, Vice-principal Bob Bastress. ABOVE: Mr. Fortunato's classic, energetic, familiar, springy stride-step is caught in' this picture as he surveys the daily activities of Centennial. This infectious enthusiasm also characterizes his dealings with people - students, parents, and faculty are the benefactors ol' his ,complete dedication to the school community. Theachievements of Centennial are the result ol' his vision of a better school. ABOVE, RIGHT'Secretaries:-Lorraine Keefe, Ann Bean, Mary ,Willough- by, Polly Meredith. A ' , Al g, N. uf' r if 'ff The job of a secretary is one which re- quires a great deal of patience and an ability to perform under pressure. Centennial's of- fice secretarial staff -- Teachers' Secretaries Mary Willoughby and Lorraine Keefe, Prin- cipal's Secretary Ann Bean, and Bookkeeper Polly Meredith - worked together to keep the massive flow of paperwork organized and the heavy load of correspondenceup toydate. Mrs. Keefe and Mrs. Willoughby assisted teachers by typing forms, reproducing ma- terials, and ordering supplies. As principal's secretary, Mrs. Bean managed the main office and assisted the administrators. Mrs. Meredith had the responsibility of deposit- ing money for departments and organizations and keeping records of transactions. The diligence of each secretary quietly contribu- ted toward the smooth operation of Cen- tennial. Secretaries 3l