Clairton High School - Clairtonian Yearbook (Clairton, PA)

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lan usages help ' I cement nations new friendship ln the last half-century the world has grown small, and those who were formerly foreign strangers to us have become almost next door residents. Closeness, however, has proved to be no guarantee for automatic understanding. The many snags onto which inter- national conferences for settling world problems fall are proof that we do not understand each other's ideals, customs, and ways of thinking. We know now that to achieve understanding will take time and eFfort. CHS looks to the future when we as adults will be called upon to help resolve these international snags. By offering us foreign languages it lays part of the groundwork needed for the development of our own understand- ing. Our study of a country's language and its past and present cultures initiates us into the problem of how to get along with its people. ln our language classes we begin to be better international neigh- bors as we learn about the Spanish, the French, the Latin Americans, and their earlier ancestors in ancient Rome. At the top of the page Miss Will describes a Roman house for her Latin students while Miss Ryan's Spanish students learn to read a newspaper written in Spanish. At the right are language teachers Mrs. Mildred Young, Miss Mary Ryan, Miss Emma Will, and Mrs. Virginia Furno. ln the latter's French class, students read from the classics and master the art of ordering from French menus. Mrs. Young's pupils test their knowledge of the conversation idioms stressed in Spanish ll.

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english mastery makes life's puzzles easier Although it sounds like a very broad statement, it could be said that life in the second half of this hectic century will be easy or difficult in direct proportion to the degree of skill with which we learn to use our own language. Graduates return to tell us again and again that twelve years of English is not too long a time in which to acquire the kind of skill we need. They would agree that the more un- derstanding with which we read news- papers and magazines and listen to speeches, the greater will be the wisdom of our reaction to current problems. That the better we are able to express our- selves in speaking and writing, the great- er is our chance of being understood and listened to by others. That the more fic- tion, travel, biography, Bible, and phil- osophy we read, the more tolerant we shall become toward the ways of our national and new international neigh- bars. Each separate day in English class may seem unimportant in itself, but CHS students realize that the years add up to the total skill essential to successful living. The English teachers in the top photo are: seated, Miss Jean Davis, Mrs. Elizabeth Bayles, Miss Amelia Opacic, standing, Miss Suzanne Phillips, Miss Helen Wilson, Miss Cecilia Collins. ln the other pictures in order down the page, sophomores act as short story critics, juniors ex- amine some new American literature trends, sen- iors pursue vocabulary demons in a dog-eared dictionary, and more seniors listen to the very old Wham that Aprille- through a very new medium, the recording machine.

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g m, swimming, health balance stud program A mind full of facts is worth much more if it belongs to a body healthy enough to make good use of it. A sluggish, tired body supplies no energy to put a fact-filled mind to work. Mid-century school authorities realize that in order to hand over to the world at the end of twelve years well adiusted citizens, they have to make provisions for our physical as well as our mental training. The set-up they have devised has health classes teaching the theory while gym and swimming classes provide the practice. This department, we feel, more than most others, has the opportunity to eliminate artificial learning situations and get closer to actual living. ln health class we deal with facts about our- selves, and ourselves are always more interesting than an ancient battle or an algebra equation. Gym and swimming give every one of us a chance to lose awkwardness and acquire grace. At the beginning of the century this chance be- longed only to the privileged who could take their private dancing and riding lessons or swim in their private pools. We all like to have fun, and playing volley- ball, basketball, and waterpolo are fun. Besides, playing games with rules that must be obeyed has a certain civilizing effect. lt should carry over some to how we play at the game of living after we leave school. The physical education faculty picture shows left to right, Miss Laura Belle Hess, Mr, John Snizik, Mr. John Karrs, Mr. Edward Porter, and Miss Barbara Ceryak. Proceeding down the page: Boys in health class enjoy a respiratory system special report while the girls take notes about the skin. A volleyball gets trapped in the curtains, flutter-kicking swimmers prepare to shove oft, four speedsters lead off the relays.