Covington High School - Puffs and Patches Yearbook (Covington, VA)

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WERE ALL GOOD FRIENDS AT C. H. S. I. Don't be too hard on him, Mrs. Burton. 2. Mr. Mann, Via and Wright leaving school. 3. Every- one is happy. 4. Mrs. Rose has lively discussion in psychology. 5. ln thc stag line! 6. Enjoy your- self, Mrs. Law. 7. Maggie ancl Jake dance. 8. Coach Fitzgerald instructs Mills, the star half-back 9. Mr. Watson and the class are proud of the new training car.

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HISTORY OF COVINGTON HIGH SCHOOL 1925 - 1950 The rapid growth of the town of Covington has been reflected in the school's history over the past twenty-live years. The entire student body of Covington High School was housed twen- ty-live years ago in the old, white, brick building on the corner of Locust and Court Streets. This building, now known as the School Administration Building, was built in l9l l. R. Cos- ten was principal. Because of increased enrollment, it was soon necessary to hold some classes in a wing of the Jeter Graded School across the street. On April l l, l939, ground was broken for the present high school building. The Masons conducted the ceremony of laying the corner stone May 30, l939. In March l940, the senior high school, grades 9, l0, ll, moved into the present building. The building on the school campus, at the back of the high school, was remodel- ed and converted into a cottage for the home economics department in I947. W. R. Curfman was assistant principal of Covington High School and Jeter Graded School from l925 to May l929. He became principal of Covington High School in September l929, and remained in that position until 1938, when he became again the principal of both the high school and the graded school. In l940, when the new high school building was completed, Mr. Curfman moved to the new building as the principal of the Covington Senior High School-the position which he now holds. There were ten members of the first graduating class in l898. The l925 class had 33 grad- uates, while in 1949 there were l4l graduates. The smallest class of the 'last twenty-live years was 23 in I928g the largest class was in l943 with I44. The first graduating class with more than one hundred was in l938 with l24. During these twenty-five years 743 boys and l IO6 girls have been graduated from Covington High School. From this total of 1849 graduates, 341 or approximately l3fAr have gone to college. Of the l925 class, 7392 went to college, while only IOQQX of the I943 graduates went on to college. There were ZI I in the four years of high school in 1925, while in I949 the final enrollment was 549. The enrollment dropped during the World War II years as low as 348 in l944. In l925 there was a faculty of 9g in l950 the faculty numbers 32. The school superintendents since l925 have been G. Jeter, S. T. Godbey, A. L. Bennett, M. L. Carper, and W. R. Beazley. Twenty-five years ago I9 units were required for graduation, with a general average of 85. Four units of a foreign language, two units of algebra, and one unit of plane geometry were re- quired for a diploma. F or a while pupils who took the commercial courses were required to take them in addition to the required minimum of I9 units. There were very few electives, and the cur- riculum offering was designed primarily for college preparatory students. In September l929, the number of units required for graduation was reduced to 18g in September l930, to I7g and in September I933, to I6 with the foreign language requirement removed and the general average lowered from 85 to 75. It was formerly the practice to give the same type of diploma to all graduates, but in l943, the present plan of offering College Preparatory, Commercial, General, and Twelfth-grade diplomas was introduced. Covington High School has always been interested in extra-curricular activities. In the old days clubs met after school, but about fifteen years ago the activities period was incorporated into the daily schedule. Formerly each pupil was required to belong to a club, but club membership was put on a voluntary basis in l94l.