Francis W Parker School - Record Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

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Nay Day. For many years this day was one of the gayest and most exciting days of the school year. There was always the beautiful May Queen and her maids in waiting, watching the performance of original poems, dances and plays. And when her Majesty had seen all the acts, she and her maids would lead a procession out to the east field where several senior boys in behalf of the whole class, would plant a sapling tree. Thus each class felt that even after graduation, they had left some part of themselves at their school, planted deep and still growing. Tield Day in 7-farms 'Woods The Parker family- students, teachers and parents-would all troop out to the forest preserve for a picnic lunch and the tradi- tional games of baseball and tug of war. Invariably, some members of the lower school would wander off from the group to look for new plants and flowers. And every year someone came back with poison ivy, ex- claiming, Look at the pretty flower I found. Not too long ago, May Day and Field Day were combined into one event called Class Day. In the morn- ing, the same homage that was once paid to the May Queen is now offered to the Senior Class as a whole, and for our picnic the bagpiper now leads us to Lincoln Park instead of Harms Woods. Though some people miss the more rustic quality of the forest preserve, hardly anyone misses the poison ivy. Although these days are very joyous indeed, hardly anything reaches such spontaneous gaiety as the annual County Fair. Designed, at first to exhibit and sell the produce from the lower school gardens once planted in a section of the east field. County Fair is now a full scale carnival. Parents enter into the fun as well as their children.The school is decorated in gay autumn colors and the building is kept in tact despite the turmoil. Of all the events of the school, one day is devoted exclusively to the lower grades. This is the Christmas Party. The seniors give this gala affair for their younger brothers and sisters. Invariably, St. Nicholas pays a visit to the party in order to watch the games and dances performed by the grades. Some are reluctant and cling to their motheris hand when they are invited to tell their special Christmas wishes to Santa. Others, more courageous, want to sit on his lap or hug him. But somehow, Santa always sees to it that every child in the room gets a big smile and a popcorn ball. On special days like these, one senses especially the family feeling among Parkerites. But it is not confined only to these occasions. For somehow, there is some- thing special about the school that makes the alumni come back year after year. Perhaps it is as one of them puts it that tenuous quality of belonging-of being wanted. Anyway, when, every Christmas holiday season, the whole Parker family converges for the annual tea, one realizes that special something about the school is not forgotten even for those who have long ago left the school. The main attraction at these annual teas is, most certainly, our dear Miss Cooke, who goes about with her habitual smile, greeting all her family and never for- getting a face. A CGMPLETE COMMUNITY However, in a small school like Parker, realizing the first of Col. Parker's dreams for the experiment, being a model home , is not quite so difficult as becoming a complete community. Yet, the Colonel's school has made great strides in doing just this. Though everyone is recognized as an individual, stress is laid on working together. Many former Parkerites will remember the gardens that once grew each year between the portables on the east field and the auditorium. They were planted, cared for and harvested by the lower grades. In this way the class learned to work together on a common project.

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This same feeling of cooperation is put on trial every morning at 10:45 in what every Parkerite knows as Morning Ex. Morning Ex may consist of anything from a history of the Chicago Fire to a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, given by any grade from the kindergarten through the twelfth grade. Very often the subject is a direct outgrowth from the classes, a discussion by the biology class, or a French play written by one of the French classes. In all of these, each person must work with others in preparing and performing for their friends. In this way, both the audience and the participants gain by the Morning Ex. One graduate has said that Morning Ex. along with other activities at Parker have given him A greater appreciation of other people's values. Even outside of the regular school program, there are many things which help to make Parker a com- munity as well as a home. These activities are run by the members of the community-the students them- selves-and provide in part for the recreational, cul- tural and physical needs of the groups. Regularly during the year there are some eight or nine social events to which the whole high school is invited. Some of these, of course, are the four band dances, which have recently fallen into the pattern of: 11 The Autumn Football Dance, given by the Seniors. QD The Christmas Alumni Dance, by the juniors. 35 The February Turnabout by the Sophomores. 45 The final Spring Dance which the Freshmen organize. The Dramatic Association and the Special Chorus take care of the cultural needs. Gnly one who has an interest in dramatics or any phase of the theater can be a member of the D.A. and do what he is best qualified for in a variety of plays. The Dramatic Association is not the only means of dramatic outlet. Classes often give plays in Morning Ex. and there is always the senior play. The play is one of the really big things in the senior year at Parker. And one can never be sure whether it will be a musical comedy or a Shakespearian tragedy. But what could explain better than a list of the plays to date? 1916-Hamlet 1917--Shepherd 1918-The Burglar That Failed Cathleen Ni Houlihan 1919-Admirable Crichton 1920-Master Pierre Palelin The Old Lady Shows Her Medals Pipes and Dryad A Night at the Inn 1921-A Playboy of the Western World The Florist Shop Overtones Lonesome--like 1922-The Will Merchant of Venice 1923-Quality Street The Red Turf The Little Man 1924-Lucky Peter 1925-As You Like It 1926-Tillie of Bloomsbury 1927-Twelfth Night Turn of the Road Aria daCapa 1928-Admirable Crichton Cradle Song 1929-Dear Departed The Valiant 1930-The Old Lady Shows Her Medals O' Flaherty Nerves 1931-As You Like lt 1932-Death Takes A Holiday The Farmers Holiday 193 3-The Faraway Princess The Boar The Queenis Enemies Mac Beth 1934-The Shepherd Cradle Song A .ii1.