Higgins Junior High School - Tatler Yearbook (Thompsonville, CT)

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2 THE TATLER •rades were sorry because they rea- lized that it would be their last year in the A. D. Hig ' gins School, After everything- was settled and the children were in their proper rooms, they were given books, pen- cils, pens and so forth. Each pupil was given a Grammar Tablet. For homework our English teacher gave us a lesson to study from our Gram- mar Tablet. We were also given Arithmetic Pads with drills for class- work. When we were studying an- gles a protractor was given to meas- ure and construct the angles. These were valuable helps in our work. The organization of a Baseball Team took place in the A. D. Higgins School. The captain was Astrima Tina and the manager George Petkos. We played our first game with Ware- house Point, April 28, 1924, and we defeated them by a score of 15 to 4. Suffield was played next and defeated by a score of 9 to 6, Then came Windsor Locks defeated by a score 11 to 9. We are proud of our team and of the games which were played. The first meeting of the Student Council was held on September 28, 1923. There were five members chos- en from each room of the Junior High School. At the first meeting the pres- ident, vice-president and secretary were chosen. The president then pro- ceeded to appoint different commit- tees among them being the traffic, basement, playground and law and order committee. The object of the Student Council was to make the rules and regula- tions of the school so that each one should be responsible for his own con- duct. At one of the meetings a mo- tion was made that mottoes be chos- en at each meeting and be put on the boards of each room and learned, such as, “Think before you speak”; “Be Courteous”; “Help Kill Profanity”; and so forth. Much profanity was used on the playground and a campaign was start- ed to rid the school of profanity. This campaign was a wonderful suc- cess and many of the children were reformed during the drive. The members of the Student Coun- cil took a pledge which read as fol- lows: — “I - , as long as I am a member of the Student Council will not swear, smoke, nor disobey the laws of the school. I will be above reproach and set a good example to the younger children, I will prom- ise not to break this pledge.’ The object of this pledge was so that one could distinguish the coun- cil members from other children. “Profanity Has Been Abolished.” The Tatler was published by the pu- pils of the A. D. Higgins Junior High School. The cost was fifteen cents. There were seven departments, and in the first two issues there were three officers which were: Editor-in- Chief, Howard Bromage; Assistant Editor, Sydney Bower and Business Manager, Louis Gamache. The seven departments were edi- torials, teachers’ contribution, poems, stories, school notes, question-box and advertising departments. The paper was given the name Tat- ler because it tattled about the pu- pils. It is a very interesting paper for the pupils. We think the class of 1924 will make the Echo a better paper. At the beginning of the year when we started school Miss Clancy said it would be well if a different teacher had charge of the assembly for one month, and entertained the children every Thursday. Some of the best assemblies we have had are “Treasure Island,” conducted by Miss Lawrence; another was the “Merchant of Ven- ice,” that was conducted by Miss Cut- ting. We had a debate about the Sol- diers’ Bonus. This, too was directed by Miss Cutting. We often had slides on different subjects, which the children enjoyed very much. During the winter, as was the cus- tom of previous classes, we planned our sleigh ride. One day it snowed and Miss Clancy said that if the snow lasted we could go. We hired three sleighs and went to Springfield, Massachusetts. V e had much fun singing many of the popular songs and jollying each other. We also threw snowballs- Miss Clancy, Miss Lougee and Mrs. Stowe went as chap- erones. It was rather cold so every one was bundled up and some of the

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XLhc tratlev THE FACULTY Superintendent Principal Anson B. Handy Teachers Nora E. Clancy Manola H. Cutting Catherine P. Cope Olive E. Lawrence Florence M. Stowe Katherine McGinity Hazel Lougee Harriet E. Ryan Catherine S. Barnett Mr. Denslow King Mr. George Jenkins Class Flower American Beauty Rose Class Motto “Aim Hi h’’ Class Song ' By Mary Laino From our teachers, friends, and class- mates Too soon we’re going ' to part. But the mem’ries will be with us In the recess of the heart. Chorus And often we will sigh When we think of days gone by And we’ll ne’er forget the schools days Spent at Higgins Junior High. Tho’ sometimes we’ve been shirking And broken many a rule. But now with hearts of sorrow We leave this dear old school. Chorus And often we will sigh When we think of days gone by. As we leave our friends and teachers Of the Higgins Junior High. Class Statistics Prettiest Girl Angenette Vail Handsomest Boy Frank Javorski Most Popular Girl Anna Bromage Most Popular Boy George Petkos Smartest Girl Anna Bromage Smartest Boy Astrima Tina Vainest Girl Gertrude Lester Vainest Boy George Bassos Wittiest Girl Erminia DeCaro Wittiest Boy Ernest Russo Quietest Girl Anna Wialy Quietest Boy George Wialy Most Talkative Girl Leona Caroline Most Talkative Boy Harold August Class Artist Hilda Trudeau Class Athlete Astrima Tina Class Poet Mary Laino Class Pet George Bassos Class Baby Orien Baker Class Dude Frank Woodworth Class Bluff Marshall Dockham Class Histor In our study of history we have learned in the preceding years how people have profited from the exper- ience of those before them. The graduating class of the A. D. Higgins School of 1924 is no exception so we will try to tell you some of our his- tory in the following. It was the 17th day of September in the year of 1923. Hundreds of chil- dren stood around the A. D. Higgins School waiting for the bell to ring. Every one came early that morning. We had many reasons to be early. We read in the paper that there were many new teachers and we were an- xious to see them. The bell rang and the children went in all directions. Most of the chil- dren who were going to the eighth

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THE TATLER 3 boys even jumped out and ran. Finally we reached Spring-field and went to the Broadway Theater, The feature was “The Pied Piper Malone,” starring Thomas Meighan, After the feature came the act. It was very interesting. After the theater we all went to the Liggett’s Drug Store. The children or- dered what they wanted to their own tastes. While going down Main Street, Miss Clancy looked like the Pied Piper Malone, because she had so many children following her. We then started for home. All the way the sleighs were racing. When we reached State Line, Miss Clancy got off and we gave her three cheers. We reached home at half past nine. The graduating class was organ- ized February 18, 1924. At the first meeting the officers were elected — President, Howard Bromage; Vice- President, Anna Bromage; Secretary, Leona Leger; Treasurer, Ralph Shoppe. The tellers at this meeting were four teachers of the Junior High. At this meeting the class agreed to pay ten cents for monthly dues, the second Monday of each month to be used to buy the class gift. Our class had the distinction over all the previous classes of being the first to give a Junior High School Concert. The concert was given un- der the direction of Mr. King, Miss Cope and Miss Ryan. The concert was opened with a se- lection by the Junior High School Or- chestra. The concert consisted of songs, by the seventh and eighth grade chorus, a saxophone solo and a Folk Dance. Margaret McBride Young, a young dancer, recently from Scotland, who won several medals there, danced for us. The clear profit was one hundred and thirty dollars. The profits derived were used to buy baseball equipment for the team. The nine was furnished with balls, bats. suits, and transportation charges paid. During the school year two prizes have been given to the pupils of the Junior High School who wrote the best essay. The first prize was of- fered by the Enfield Connecticut League of Women Voters for the best essay on “Peace Versus War.” This was won by Leona Caroline of 8A. The second prize was offered by the Daughters of the American Revolu- tion. The subjects were: Enfield’s Early Settlements, Enfield in the Wars, Enfield’s Heroes Enfield’s Landmarks. In our Civics class we were given a choice of these subjects to write upon as homework. We wrote about it, and it consisted of about four hun- dred words. The prizes given were a five dollar gold piece for first prize, a two and one half gold piece for second prize. The Hazardville eighth grade also entered this contest. The winners were announced at graduation. Examinations were given at the end of each term on every subject. Most everyone usually had a passing mark. The average of the whole class always was 80% or more. Then came the final examinations. The children studied very hard. To some of the children’s surprise they did not have to take the tests. If the whole year’s average was above 90% they were excused. This is a thing of which no one ever, yet heard in this school, but it has led us to believe that teachers are not always cruel. With the formal graduation exer- cises, and receiving of diplomas our history closes. May the following classes profit by our experiences and bring honor to the Alvin D. Higgins Junior High School by “aiming high.” Class PropHecy Time 1944 The other day as I lay in a ham- mock under a large maple tree in the garden, I began to wonder what time had done to my old schoolmates of the class of 1924. The afternoon was warm and drowsy, — one of those days that always make one dream. Ac- cording to my inspiration, I went into the house and got a telescope that