High School of Commerce - Caduceus Yearbook (Springfield, MA)

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Home Economics Course Trains For Happy Living Attention, young women! Surveys show that the great majority of Com- merce girls marry soon after gradua- tion. This is an attractive idea, of course, and it indicates the reason that the Home Economics Department is so important. The Foods course teaches menu planning, budgeting, proper serv- ing, and the latest in cookery. The confidence that comes from having an excellent wardrobe and knowing how to dress properly often results from the Clothing and Dressmaking classes, while the Personality and Etiquette course helps students develop social poise and courtesy. When a young woman has completed work in this department, she will make any young man happy he chose a Com- merce graduate to be his life partner! Mmm .. . They’re piping hot, and they’re going to taste mighty delicious. It’s Miss Ruth Page’s Foods II class getting some practical training in the old motto, ‘‘The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.’’ And while the class is waiting for the rolls to bake, they can always pass the time studying that gallery of modern art that Miss Page carries around with her. Mathematics Helps College-Bound, Aids Future Designers There's an important angle — Get it? — to the study of Geometry and of Algebra too at the High School of Commerce. Sénd- ing many of its graduates to excellent colleges, Com- merce must meet the high standards of entrance. In the Mathematics department, such requirements are care- full» met. Fundamentals are intro- duced in the Algebra I course, with equations, eraphs, square root, and so forth. Algebra II goes into more advanced phases, in- cluding quadratic equations, logarithms, binomial the- orem, numerical trigonom- eLry:. Plane Geometry also has ee a practical value for the Student ponders, while Instructor Donald Hatch casts a critical eye on a Geometry problem. = s ot Ieee It’s easy to “construct a square equal to the sum of two given squares’’—when you know how. And future artist, designer, ma- you find out how in the Commerce Mathematics department. chinist, engineer, and archi- tect. 16

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Science Department Reveals Earth’s Wonders In a world that has nearly bypassed Flash Gordon with its casual talk of earth satellites and atomic-powered airplanes, the future citizen must have accurate scientific knowledge. To impart that knowledge to Commerce learners is the job of the Science Department under the leadership of Mr. Harold W. Jones. Here Commerce students watch the eternal magic of plant growth, examine weaving hydra under microscopes, and dissect the bodies of small animals, as they study Biology, the science of Life. Then they learn the mysteries of chemical compounds and solutions, make colorful and loud experiments, change water to “wine,” and set up weather detectors in that odoriferous but exciting science, Chemistry. Fascinating also is the study of sound and light, weight and speed and matter, for Physics explains the world around the student, teaches him how to move great weights with small muscles, makes him understand why the sound caused by lightning is heard later than the flash is seen. In short, the Commerce Science Department does much Vs Gf . : Ops ars ‘Alas, poor Yorick,’’ says Gus Penna in the Biology lab. But more than the traditional task of preparing young specialists, Rakhare Rendatk ie tod: busy Kiting: towether, this: ean eee It helps all to understand the complex, frightenin hole iF tiful world that surrounds mankind. e, and beau- Language Classes Bring Old World Culture to Students As part of their realistic instruction, students in a French class describe the distinguishing features of the world-famed architec- ture of French cathedrals. When and if the glorious day comes that they can visit that land, they'll be well prepared not only to appreciate the beauty of buildings, but also to con- verse fluently with the na- tives. The liquid, smooth-flowing French and Spanish Proficiency is attained by use of the most modern languages become a living reality for students who study methods of instruction. Students hear and imitate the language as it is spoken by experts on records, which in Commerce’s Foreign Language Department. Not only reproduce everyday conversations. Then they practice do these pupils gain a speaking and reading knowledge : with the tape recorder, hearing their own accentuations, while the instructors, Miss Helen M. Lynch and Miss architecture, painting, customs, history, and so forth. Helen G. Flynn, patiently work with them. but they also become familiar with French and Spanish 15

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Frolic to Fitness” is Physical Education Aim Health through fun is the motto of both the Boys and Girls Physical Education Departments at the High School of Commerce. Basketball, wrestling, swimming, track and field are only a few of the offerings for boys, while soccer funda- mentals, tumbling, lifesaving, badmin- ton, volleyball, golf, basketball are several others that are part of the extensive program. For the girls, folk and square danc- ing are offered, as are also softball. bowling, roller skating, ice-skating. Swimming, tennis, field hockey, basket- ball, and many others satisfy the desire for exercise and competition. Both departments also sponsor one of the finest Driver Education Courses in the state, with theoretical and be- hind-the-wheel training. (See page 111) Whenever there is sufficient interest in any new sport, Boys Physical Edu- cation Director Tom Collins and Girls Director Barbara Richardson and In- structor Lois Piper assist enthusiasts in obtaining equipment and getting competition underway. “Ll That’s not a grin — it’s a grimace as a determined freshman seizes his classmate in a hammerlock, as a wrestling tournament gets under way. These girls are the happy participants in the modern dance group of the Girls Physical Education Department. 7