Jefferson High School - Jeffersonian Yearbook (Alexandria, VA)

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OUR PRINCIPAL: He runs a good school, and we like him. His college program interrupted by World War II, Mr. Jordan earned his wings as a Naval aviator at Pensacola, Florida, during that period. Serving on the east coast, he flew dive bombers and torpedo bombers. He had been assigned to the Midway, the first carrier with an all steel flight deck, and was ready to leave for Japan at the time of the Japanese surrender. After the war, Mr. Jordan returned to college, and earned his B.A. degree at Bridegwater. He then spent four years at Newport High School in Giles County, southwest Virginia, first as a teacher and later as a teacher-principal. Then came four years as principal of another Giles County school, the Narrows High School. When Fairfax County created the position of As- sistant Principal for Instruction, Mr. Jordan was among the first chosen, and his appointment was at Mount Vernon High, where he served two years. When Robert E. Lee High School opened, Mr. Jor- dan was its first Assistant Principal for Administration. After one year in this job, he became principal of Falls Church High, where he remained for five years until WILLIAM H. JORDAN B.A., Bridgewater M.Ed., University of Virginia his selection to head the new administration of Jeffer- son High. This succession of appointments clearly indicates the respect and regard for him felt by members of his profession generally, and particularly by those to whom he reports officially. It is also quite evident that those who serve under his direction enjoy working with him. Out of 77 staff and faculty members at Jefferson when it opened, 22 were persons who had served before with Mr. Jordan. Most of the key positions in his present ad- ministration are filled by people who held comparable jobs with him elsewhere. Small wonder, then, with such built-in teamwork, that the new school got off to such a good start and has run so smoothly this first year. As one of his teachers puts it, ’’He knows his busi- nes thoroughly, he keeps everyone informed, he’s loyal and backs you up when you’re right, he’s patient, tole- rant, firm but very fair, he sets the example by work- ing as hard as anyone else and harder than most. All in all, he’s a nice person to work for.” The students agree. Our principal runs a good school, and we like him. 15

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Lae Mr. Bernard arrives for work early one autumn morning. QUITE A FACULTY, ALL THINGS CONSIDERED If our staff and faculty are proud of their school community, the community has reason to return the feeling. Mr. Jordan made good use of the opportunity to select personnel for the new school, and we think that, all things considered, Jefferson High started out with quite an impressive faculty and administration. The 77 faculty members who either teach or di- rectly support the teaching, brought to their jobs a total of 30 Master’s degrees (a dozen or so more are nearly finished with the requirements for the Master’s); more than 90 years of graduate study; 310 years of college-level study; and a total of well over 1,300 years of formal education! The staff and faculty averages nine years of teaching experience. More than half of them have traveled extensively in Europe, the Middle and Far East, Mexico, Canada, the Pacific Islands, or South America. About one-fourth have lived abroad, including a number who have stud- ied or taught in foreign countries. Many have varied experiences in other fields, such as journalism, radio and television, theatre, concert singing, musical performing or directing, sculpture, Red Cross service, college teaching and administrative work, handling foreign exchange students, and assignments with the National Science Foundation. Nearly all of the staff and faculty have given needed support and encouragement to the scores of newly forming extra-curricular student activities which characterize a modern high school. (Elsewhere in this book some 40 of these formally chartered clubs and organizations are described). Some of our teachers are committed to assisting as many as four or five of these groups, and devote many late afternoon and evening hours to their success. Collectively, our staff and faculty is an unusually well-educated and mature group, with a wealth of wis- dom and experience to draw upon. The challenge of such an eager student body seems to bring out the best in them. They work well together, with much good humor and fun, and a clear devotion to the tasks they share. Our faculty at the first P.T.A. meeting. 14

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‘a : The Assistant Principal For Administration If a high school had a title like Dean of the Faculty, surely Mr. Barrett would carry it at Jefferson. He’s the senior of them all in years of exoerience, and he’s done just about every- thing in the school business. He was a teacher and a principal in rural schools from one end of Virginia to the other for 24 years before coming to Fairfax County. Before joining the Jef- ferson staff he spent several years at Falls Church High in the same position he now holds— Assistant Principal for Administration. Students see him everywhere, for he is concerned with their safety and welfare from the moment the busses roll onto the school grounds in the morn- ing till the last one departs in the evening. A student’s locker gets jammed, or a fire alarm is accidentally tripped, or a teacher loses a key: Mr. Barrett sets things aright. These and dozens of details like them fill his day. He’s kind and wise and patient and good-humored — and he needs all these qualities and more to yor what otherwise could be a nerve-shattering job. + . ‘ec FRANK BERNARD B.S., State University of New York M.A., New York University The Administrative Aide His title doesn’t tell much about what he actually does, probably because no one has come up with a title that would encompass it all. But he sure gets into a lot of things, and he covers a lot of ground in a day’s time. Mainly it seems that he pitches in when Mr. Jordan or Mr. Barrett or Mr. Bernard (or all three at once) need an extra pair of hands. He’s out with the busses in the morning, back in the office in time for daily announcements over the P.A. system, out again on his rounds all over the building, and back once more to his office in time for a steady grind of phone calls and conferences dealing with all the many kinds of problems students can generate. Here his experience as a guidance counselor comes in handy, for now and again a per- sistent rules-breaker takes much patience and understanding before he’s back on the track. Mr. Visnich has to be an investigator, a law enforcer, a father confessor, a wailing wall, and a few other things. Mostly he’s a friend to ‘’the kids,’’ and they know it, for he’s also a popular club sponsor and chaperone and a front-row-center member of the cheering section whenever a Colonial team takes the field. Do you know who does the planning and looking ahead to see that we have these things? Ever think about the complicated scheduling that has to be done so we can get the courses we need, in the right sequence? Or who worries about making the best use of all the classrooms and labs and the library and auditorium and the rest of our teaching facilities? These are some of Mr. Bernard’s responsibilities as Assistant Principal for Instruction. Most of his work goes on at times and in ways that students wouldn’t know about, but i WILL H. BARRETT B.S., Washington and Lee University M.A., University of Virginia The Assistant Principal For Instruction Ever stop to consider how much teaching equipment our school has? All the microscopes, test tubes, stoves, sewing machines, movie and slide and film strip projectors, tape recorders, typewriters, shop tools, charts, maps, and all that? And all the textbooks and art materials and music stands and phonograph records and a hundred other things we use? it’s the heart and soul of a good school operation. If you like the teaching you're getting, in- clude Mr. Bernard in your thanks, for the impetus comes from him. PETER VISNICH B.S., Davis and Elkins College M.Ed., University of Virginia