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

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t Learning another culture ' s language is the begin- ning of understanding a way of life different from our own. This is the goal of the language depart- ment, as Mrs. Harris and Mrs. Plott attempt to build an appreciation of foreign languages at CHS. Their classes demand full participation from everybody and give students a solid background in the funda- mentals of the course they are taking. Spanish I, II, 111, and IV, taught by Mrs. Plott, stress the customs and way of life of the people studied, as well as a sound understanding of vocabulary and grammar. In French I and II, taught by Mrs. Harris, a historical background of the country is also empha- sized, along with the usual drills in conjugation and pronunciation. A listing center, which permitted several students to listen to the same record, proved to be a use- ful aid in the learning of phrases in both classes. During Mrs. Harris ' absence in mid-year, her classes were capably taken over by Mrs. Nichols. To show their appreciation, students treated Mrs. Harris to a going-away party and also to a welcome-back party. BONING UP . . . Mrs. Plott reads widely to keep up with her Span- ish classes. LISTEN IN ... A. Hillmer, T. St. Clair, W. Kayser, D. Cobbs, A. Gill, M. Tatum, and M. Warren learn French phrases with the help of the new listening center. Languages Build Understanding 22

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The required five units of English emphasize a sound understanding of grammar and literature. Freshman, sophomore, and senior English classes study the plays of Shakespeare, and famous novels are reviewed in all classes. Senior classes added The Great Gatsby to their reading studies this year. Inno- vation and imaginative thinking are encouraged by writing courses. Sophomores and juniors are faced with a term paper, and students wishing to delve further into writing skills may take Advanced Com- position. Activities headed by English teachers won various honors this year. The debate team, sponsored by Ms. Linda Burks, placed second in the District Debate Tournament held at Lord Botetourt High School. The forensics team, sponsored by Mrs. Betty Little- ton, gathered one first-place award and two second- place awards at the District Forensic Meet. At the Region III Forensics Meet at Brookville, Kurt Jensen placed third in Boys ' Poetry, and Carolyn Switzer placed third in Girls ' Prose. The cast of Tad Mosel ' s Impromptu , directed by Mrs. Ruth Cvizic, re- ceived the only Superior rating in district and re- gional competition and went on to participate in the State Drama Festival in Charlottesville. SHOW AND TELL . . . Marty Montgomery describes a Mexican bull- fight for Mrs. Whiteside ' s English IV A class. ZOUNDS! . . . Macbeth (R. McFadden) finds an unexpected guest (M. Carter) at his banquet. Macbeth was part of the English V curriculum. A, B, C . . . Mary Drudy and Tony Nicely learn the deaf alphabet in Mrs. Stuart ' s class. 21

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MOVIES ARE YOUR BEST ENTERTAINMENT ... Mr. HE ' S GUILTY . . . L. Waldren, C. Madison, S. Smith, and D. Jordan take part in Clemmer shows his U.S. history class yet another en- . a courtroom re-enactment in Mr. Chappell ' s civics class, lightening film. Social Studies Challenge Minds Social studies are probably the most popular sub- jects at CHS. Geography, civics, economics, govern- ment, and U.S. and world history all prove to be stimulating courses. New audio-visual equipment, such as movie cameras and cassette recorders, have been a tre- mendous aid to the Social Studies department. These provided exciting opportunities for projects outside the regular classwork. Newcomer Mr. Chappell, together with Mr. Albert, who resumed his teaching duties this year, helped make civics an interesting course for eighth graders. In world history, Mrs. Uzzell gave her stu- dents a perspective on the present as they studied the events of the past. Mr. Clemmer and his U.S. history students explored the problems that shaped the past and those of the present, as they kept up with the unfolding drama of Watergate. Mrs. Mustoe ' s government classes focused their interest on the gubernatorial election, the structure of Con- gress, and a study of communism. The economics class, taught by Mr. Hammond, took field trips to area industries and a brokerage house in Roanoke and invited local businessmen for discussions on various topics. VERY INTERESTING . , . Mrs. Uzzell finds this slide amusing. 23