Classical High School - Blue and White Yearbook (Springfield, MA)

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Mr. Thomas Dowd — social studies “Robert E. Lee. My ideals are fighting a losing battle.” Dr. Jeannette Harris — social studies “Asa history teacher, I strongly believe in the value of examining and attempt- ing to understand the past, in order to interpret the present and plan for the future. However, I refuse to allow my- self to dwell in the past. In my opinion, that period of time is but a tool. I prefer to consider myself as an individual characteristic of 1976 and beyond. One grasps the most realistic rewards of life — not by leaning backward, but, by reaching forward and outward.” Mr. Robert Keough — mathematics “Ben Franklin. I believe in the quote, (Dorasilasaypano tasmlidond Mr. Edward Lundrigan — science “Thomas Jefferson. I feel as he did, that our country needs a constitution to free man from the continually grasp- ing bonds of greed and injustice. (De- mocracy is possible only if we recruit capable and dedicated people to serve the needs of the common good.)” Mr. Baron McDuffee — counselor “In some ways, I envy the settler who was independent and self-sufficient. I guess this would be rather typical of those who might feel that life was bet- ter when less complex.” Mrs. Priscilla Skelton — gym “The one historical character that I can easily identify with is Martha Jane Ca- nary Burke. I find many similarities with her, and to pick out just one What Character In History Do You Identify With? Mr. Thomas Dowd — social studies fe Dr. Jeannette Harris — social studies would be impossible. Here are just a few reasons why | am one of her favor-| ite fans. A skilled horsewoman and an. expert with a rifle, she served our coun-. try as a scout for the cavalry. She was a heroine in an emergency outbreak of small pox in South Dakota. She lived in. Missouri and was a great lover of ani- mals. However, my two favorite rea- sons for admiring her are 1.) She was patriotic, marrying not for love but for the benefit of her town. 2.) I can appre- ciate her spunk, her character, her out- wardness, her joy of life, her variety of emotion, but most of all, her awkward- ness, thus bringing us to her most common name, Calamity Jane.” Mrs. Cathlene Smith — clerk “In this year of bicentenial, I am sure the students identify me with Betsy Ross.” Mr. Adam Montagna — custodian “Reddy Kilowatt. I like his ‘Z’ body shape.” Mr. Edward Lundrigan — science

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Counselors ounselors constitute a very large and nportant portion of the school, as ney work totally for the benefit of the chool and its occupants. Excellent ave- ues of communication, they serve as iiddlemen amidst the principals, the »achers, and, in some cases, the par- ints. The counselors’ job is indispensa- le because of the assistance it offers in ttempting to mold more prosperous utures for students, today. Dur counselors have quite a job, to say he very least. An average day for the iard-working counselor could include, n the morning, familiarizing a new tudent with the schoo l, in the after- 1oon, attending an important meeting oncerning the school program, and, fter school, counseling a student or amily with special problems. Their everal duties include such technical ind clerical work as organizing re- cords, arranging report cards, planning ndividual programs, and preparing for students’ future educational advance- ment. Although clerical work consti- tutes a great part of the counselors’ work, there is time left, nevertheless, for a more rewarding duty, helping people in need. Counseling people with personal prob- lems on a one-to-one basis is a reward- ing job, quite different from paper work. Students undergo extreme emo- tional stress, in many cases, as family situations undergo change. Counselors need to be very understanding and, most important of all, to develop their ability to listen. With one-to-one rela- tionships, counselors learn to listen perhaps more than advise. This aspect of the counselors’ job, along with their several additional obligations, makes their position a crucial one. Our counselors, Mildred Cabana, Ger- ald Canter, Mary Corcoran, Baron McDuffee, Betty Moody, James Wilke, James Walsh, and Gary Watson, are very special people, working contin- ually towards the improvement of Classical. Without them, our school would not funtion at its best and would be a far more impersonal place than it is. Librarian In acknowledging some of the people who help Classical function, one must remember the indispensable librarian. The librarian maintains complete order in the library, and her job is very sig- nificant for its existence. Our librarian, Miss Isabelle Brown, aids students all day long by, for example, assisting someone in his search for a book need- ed for a term paper or report. If a teach- er wishes to maintain certain books for his students, Miss Brown will reserve them for use solely by that particular class of students. In addition, time con- suming but neccessary clerical work behind the scenes adds to the responsi- bilities of our librarian. It takes a lot of work and enthusiasm to create a well run and comprehensive library such as These People Help Classical Function As It Should. Mrs. Evelyn Paige — head cashier Mrs. Jeanette Scheehser — clerk Mr. Gary Watson — counselor the one that Classical can boast of. Cafeteria Students do not live by books alone, of course. What would Classical do if, suddenly, we were without cooks? After three or four periods of school, the average student is starving. All that hard work throughout the morning re- sults in growling stomachs at about eleven o'clock, and it is then that the student looks forward to the time when he can relax, converse with friends, and eat! The cooks work hard all morning to prepare the food that satisfies Clas- sical’s appetites. They not only cook this essential and nourishing food, but they serve it, as well. The cooks pro- vide our school with lunches every day of the week; without the service pro- vided by these ladies, all students would have to bring their own bagged lunches and many students would not bother, resulting in hungry students who perform poorly in class. Mr. James Wilkie -counselor FACULTY 21

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Teaching Takes A Turn. ‘A multitude of changes have occurred over the past 200 years of our American independence. One of the outstanding changes has taken place in the field of teaching. When looking back into the history of teaching in America, one can ‘observe the vast differences. In early colonial times, teachers were considered unproductive workers who were “necessities that had to be tolerated.” They were paid low wages and were usually the first item to be cut off the budget when funds became scarce. It was not until the -mid-1800’s that people realized the need for teachers, and the ‘first teaching institutes were open. Teachers of the past were not only judged by their academic qualifications, but were under constant scrutiny by the community on their personal lives. Teachers had strict rules to obey. Some of these rules included no smoking, no dancing, ‘no alcoholic beverages, compulsory and regular church attendance, no political activity, and no companionship of the opposite sex in public what-so-ever. Women teachers also had other rules imposed on them such as no makeup, the banning of certain hairstyles and fashions, no marriage. Time has slowly resulted in relaxing the stringent rules of the past. But the changes have evolved slowly. For example, it was not until May of 1958 that the school board passed a bill allowing married women to teach in Springfield. Today 73% of ‘teachers are married, and 5% run for public office. It seems are not only human, but that variety is what makes them so that people have finally come to the realization that teachers effective in giving us a well-rounded education. Mr. Baron McDuffee — counselor Mrs. Priscilla Skelton — gym