John F Kennedy High School - Forum Yearbook (Cheektowaga, NY)

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Mr Henry Z wierzchowski Assistant Principal Websteris New Collegiate Dictionary defines a blueprint as a photo- graphic print in white on a bright blue background used especially for copying maps, mechanical drawings, and architects plans. It fur- ther defines a blueprint as a plan of action. Since a school is an institution for the education of children, it has to have a blueprint that is a plan of action to achieve this goal. Any good school attempts to mirror life and give students a clear view of the whys and hows of life. It endeavors to give the students a plan of action to cope with life and its problems. At J.F.K., we all are trying to create an atmosphere where there is input from the admin- istration, faculty, students, and community in setting up this blue- print for the operation of our schools. Our school is trying to be representative of and responsive to all the needs of all those involved in the education of the children of our community. The recipe for making this dish of education incorpo- rates all the various ingredients of our community.

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16 Mr. Henry An drze je wski, Principal Everything - buildings, machines, cities, businesses, life - has a plan which governs its construction and structure. This plan is easily recognizable in the physical structures and commercial organizations, but the plan of life is more subtle. ln effect, school is a blueprint of life. If you examine all the aspects of school, you will recognize a pattern that can be projected to encompass life itself. In school you have the elements of competi- tion, sociability, cultural refinement, and intellectual stimulation. These are the parts of man's nature which need cultivation and direction. You find them within the structure of the school and its accompanying community. The school provided competition not only in sports but also in the classroom where intellectual athletes compete with one another in an effort to develop their mental capabilities and potentials. You learn to play the game of life by meeting challenges and problems head-on and working them out to successful competition. The school provides sociability on all levels. lt offers you the opportunity for companionship and gives you a sense of society itself. You can mingle with peo- ple of all economic levels, cultural backgrounds, and interest areas. You can learn to live amiably in this kind of varied social world, to appreciate and under- stand all types of your fellow man. The cultural refinement and intellectual stimulation that man needs in his life time is provided by the academic structure of the school and the academic-related activities. Here, you, the student can find new channels for your leisure time and at the same time become aware of other interest areas which may attract you at some future date. The intellectual stimulation of your classes sharpens your wits and encourages you to think and question the seed of experimentation and inno- vation - the foundation of progress. Thus, the school in its academic and social structure is actually a Hminiworldl' where as students you encounter, on a small scale, the problems, personalities, and activities you will meet in life. The way in which you react to these then provides the foundation for the way in which you will handle life's varied situations. ln effect, the habits and methods you develop while in school are the ones you will carry throughout life.

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SUZANNE HARTKE - Department Chairwoman STANLEY ODACHOWSKI Language Arts - S a 1 Z s Q . x ,, 4 LAWRENCE HAJDUK 1 GLENN GREENWAY I