Elmwood School - Samara Yearbook (Ottawa, Ontario Canada)

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Form Notes 4 B and C Try to put yourself in poor Mrs. Laidler ' s position, as she tries to guide us through a History class. Feeling that teaching just wasn ' t meant for you, you approach the open door grimly. As usual, there is no polite Form Captain waiting for you. You sweep into the room, all ready to get this lesson over with, and . . . . HORRORS! What do you see ? The polite form captain, Maureen, showes off, as usual, in drawing vinrealistic girls with their eyes shut, on the board! Jane Blyth, our cartoonist, is drawing pictures of Oogly-Woogly, her pet subject, and caricatures of every teacher! Liz is telling everyone to shut up! as she does her Math,; she also wants to know how many times 79 1 2 goes into 159! Ah, the good little French girl. Martine is WHAT! (gulp) drawing a one-sided game of X ' s and 0 s on the WALL! Sarah is drawing soulful Beagles all over her History Hilroy, and talking 19 to the dozen to Jane! Pauline and JoceljTi bought some candy the night before, so they are eating, and featuring a scramble for them too! Martha is unpacking and repacking her BRIEF? case, which is twice her size! Carolyn is all over the room, talking or screaming as loud as she can, though she is off on a cloud during class! Margaret is telling everyone to be quiet, so that we can get a bunch of red stars! And lastly, Vicky is chewing a sticky candy she caught in the. scramble, and writing on her desk with red ink! You are finally noticed, the commotion dies down, and after giving out a bunch of BLACK stars, you start the lesson, and try not to notice the dirty looks going round! I think that squishes any desire on your part to be a teacher!

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History of the School Twenty-five years ago a gracious lady came to Ottawa with her husband and two sons, and found in Rockliffe, then an almost pastoral spot - cows grazed in Buena Vista - a rambling old homestead, part timber and part stucco, surrounded by leafy elms and grounds that trailed away into swamp, the latter a veritable paradise for small boys and mosquitoes. Here she had a vision, a dream, or what you will. It was a lovely one, anyway, as all her dreams were. She visualized in that very spot a band of carefree happy children, who would play in merry groups in those grounds; a place where they would learn about pixies and fairies, and fare forth in a world of their own making on adventures like Arthur ' s knights of old, learning the while of those lovely gracious qualities which little children must practice as grown knights who go in quest of the Holy Grail. The lady was Mrs. Philpot. The shady grounds were those which surround our school today. Thus Elmwood came into being. You all know why it was that we were at first known as the Rockliffe Preparatory School. The oldest pupil was not more than fourteen. In speaking of those days, Mrs, Philpot pays tribute to the generous in- terest of Mr. and Mrs. Ch arles Keefer. A warm sponsor, too, who must be mentioned in connection with this period of the school ' s history, was Admiral Sir Charles Kingsmill, who was largely instrumental in inter- esting our present governors, and it was through him also that the now famous barn was converted and in- corporated • in the school buildings. Mr. Norman Guthrie and other parents were also most generous in helping to establish the school. Here, however, I want to dwell upon what I believe to be the main charac- teristics that the school has developed during the first quarter of a century, and try to show how even in the beginning, in spite of badly- constructed and ill-equipped buildings, many lovely things were planted, took root, and grew, inspired by the vital force of Mrs. Philpot ' s personality. To those days we owe our school colours and our emblem flower, the daffodil. In connection with this I should like to quote Mrs. Philpot ' s own words: The daffodil became to me a symbol in its happy way of growing in merry companies and open spaces, joyous, strong, companionable and free. Later when she presented the Philpot Token, which many of you have worn with pride, she said: I ask that the Token may emphasize for you this way of living, and that its spirit may foster an open, kind and generous influence in the school .... and, if you will, let it be called the daffodil spirit. I offer the Token to be awarded each year to the girl who best maintains the spirit and the ideals, which, as well as a high standard in scholarship, achievement in games, and charm of manner, I have always hoped may set their mark upon the school, i.e. the spirit of SERVICE, FELLOWSHIP, FREEDOM, FAIR-PLAY. It was in this manner that we had our beginnings. One of my first impressions of the school was that atmosphere of joyous companionship, both in work and in play, and I should like to think that the spirit of friendliness and comradeship still characterizes the school and impresses itself on all who come within its portals, for our of friendliness comes fellowship, the desire to serve, and many good things that this sadly torn world of today needs. Steadily the school grew. A bit was added here, and a bit was added there, to house our growing numbers - one bit a barn! Some of the old parts were very shaky. I remember on one occasion when the Duchess of Devonshire (then residing at Government House) visited the school. So many people climbed the rather uncertain and creaky staircase in the old section of the house that we held our breath for fear the worst would happen and the vice-regal foot go through the stairs! However all went well then, but later a less august foot, of the primary mistress, went through the boards of her classroom floor, and Mrs. Harry Southam said, That decides it, or words to that effect. We must. have a new building. And we did. And so in 1940 we look back over a quarter of a century, and we see in retrospect the Elmwood pageant, girls in green tunics filing into the Hall for morning prayers, flying as if on winged feet to tennis courts and playing-fields, cheering themselves hoarse for Fry, Keller and Nightingale, assembling for Speech Day in white and yellow, with some assumption of the dignity that the Day demands, the keen, eager faces and smiling eyes growing a little more serious year by year as the purpose of School as a preparation for life unfolds itself. At the end of twenty-five years we find Elmwoodians in every part of the globe, carrying with them we hope and believe, like the winged fruit of the elm tree, samara, something of the lessons we have tried to teach during their school days, the spirit of service, the beauty of usefulness, a readiness to meet whatever testing times may come with a serene courage, going forth with fellowship and kindliness and a true sense of fair play, so that wherever they may be they will work for the common good. And it is thus I would have you salute the past with reverence, as you march beyond it to the future. Edith B. Buck 27

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4A Form Notes. Crossword Puzzle. Answers on page 41. ACROSS. 1. Nancy ' s hali- is this. 10. What Vicky hates to write ' . 16. Where we hate to go after break. 18. What Harriet loves. 25. Wliat we would answer in the 16th century. 30. What has happened to Pam. 40. What Debby was in March. 43. What we do during break. 47. Where we hope to go next year. DOWN. 2. How Nancy used to travel. 6. This means the same in two languages. 12. A common second ' name. 14. What Rhona is far from. 15. What Jane is in the form. 21. What we ' d like to do all day. 23. What always bothers us. 26. What had to be collected from Samara. 32. What Carol does in the hay fever season, 39. What Monique loves. 40. We have the least of these. 45. What we do to Mrs. Laldler. 51. What we are in arithmetic. 29