Clairton High School - Clairtonian Yearbook (Clairton, PA)

Page 74 text:

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.

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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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art, music give 5 ecial training to the talented ln accord with the educational theory that students of exceptional ability should be encour- aged, modern high school curricula include courses to interest those with special talents. At present the CHS list of such courses in- cludes ones only in music and art. There are ad- ministration plans and teacher dreams for others in the future. Students who excel in writing, speaking, and acting still have to be content with only regular English classes where treatment of these extras is necessarily limited. To give these students opportunity for self- expression equal to that of the musicians and artists, CHS should plan to add to its curriculum courses in speech, dramatics, iournalism, and magazine and radio writing. Music and art students learn techniques and develop a sense of appreciation for what is good. The school as a whole profits from their study, because the music groups produce enjoy- able programs, and the art classes are called upon often to make posters, programs, and decorations. At the top left are art supervisor Miss Cora Pitcairn and music supervisor Miss Jennie Mae Botdcrf, At the right are Mr. Rutilio Rotili and his assistant, Mr. Robert Testa, directors of instrumental music. Below, in order are Paul Weber, Jim Crbell, Robert Garner, and George Johnson, talented enough to be sent to the district band festival, the Girls' Chorus in u serious practice session with Miss Botdorf, Miss Pitcairn and an art class at work on the senior play program covers. 69