McCluer North High School - Polaris Yearbook (Florissant, MO)

Page 206 text:

In the course of a Spanish lecture, Tracy Ober- mueller and Jim Simandl, seniors, try to decipher their teacher’s words. Welcome! To the world of France. Brad McKee, sen- ior, discusses a problem with Sara Boyer, foreign language teacher Bringing the world together What opened the door to peace and cooperation among the nations of the world? Comunication was the key. That was why knowing how to speak a foreign language was so important. American high-school students have received much criticism from various educational authorities about their lack of knowledge of a language other than English. Foreign language requirements in some high schools were virtually un- known. “A foreign language is important to achieve a well-rounded educa- tion and to further one’s under- standing of other countries.”” — Andi Bruder- But nine times out of ten the foreign exchange students who came to the U.S. were fluent in English as well as their own language. North’s students, however, were rapid- ly changing this bleak image by enrolling in one or more of the foreign language classes of French, German, Latin, or Span- ish, and sticking with it until they gradu- ated. Eric Baier, senior, said, ‘It’s worth staying in a foreign language for several 202 Foreign Language se years if you're interested in ever being able to use the language in college or later in life.” More than merely language concepts were taught by the department. The teachers provided the student much in- formation about the culture. They felt that learning the history and personality traits were very important for an overall understanding of the language one was taking. ‘““‘We teach about the different provinces of France and the establish- ment of the monarchy from Charlemagne on down,” said, Mrs. Sara Boyer, French teacher. The language department also offered exchange programs to countries such as New Zealand, Germany, France, and Mexico. Selected students from McCluer North lived with a native family of that country from two to three weeks or for as long as a whole school year. Students who took advantage of this program, gained first-hand experience speaking the language and developed a sense of maturity by living thousands of miles away from home. Why study Spanish? Chris Dominguez, foreign lan- guage teacher, explains the advantages of learning Spanish — travel, career, or just showing off in a Mexican restaraunt. MEXicCana hh Ogres, (yas

Page 205 text:

This group of enthusiastic students seems to be intent on finishing their assignments before the end of the hour. Reading his Clues and Crimes textbook, Joe John- This year, the English department at McCluer North was an interesting place to be. The reason: changes, revisions, ac- tivities and special programs. A major change was the addition of sev- eral new faculty members. Among these were Miss Carol Jessen from Cross Keys, Mrs. Karen Knoll from Florissant, Mrs. Iva Cormack from McCluer, and Mr. Jim- Jack Ellis from Florissant. Many revisions in the curriculum were made. No classes were dropped, but many were combined, so that valuable topics woul not be lost, yet there would be room to add the freshman program. Some of the classes were revamped, such as the literature seminars and journalism classes. New classes were a creative writing workshop, a vocabulary building course, and a hands-on mass media pro- duction class. ‘There is a good variety and the teachers are good, but you don't learn unless you put into it,” commented Laurie Toerper, junior. The English teachers also sponsored In the back of the room Chris Shillito, sophomore, Pete Sandoval, junior, John Webbe, junior, and Eric Jasinski, junior, pursue their individual tasks. son, junior, already seems to know “whodunit”. The Thrill Of Words many clubs and activities such as speech and drama, yearbook, and newspaper. Some teachers took on extra class loads outside of McCluer North. Mr. Dexter Schraer taught English at the Yeshiva High School. Mr. Stan Cox taught courses in logical thinking at Washington Univer- sity, and Ms. Carole Mulliken taught adult education courses. English teachers also participated in many programs that continually shar- pened their teaching skills and helped “The English department has a wide variety of classes to choose from and the teachers do their best to help you learn.’’ — Ted Hindes them to create interesting assignments. “| think the teachers do a good job,” said Dave Lingla, freshman. Overall, the Eng- lish department deserves much credit for its constant striving towards perfection. English 201

Page 207 text:

After the French class is asked a tough question, Chris Shillito, sophomore, concentrates while Brad Martell, sophomore, thumbs through his notes. A curious Michael Scott, junior, looks to Jim Jack Ellis, foreign language teacher, for help with his Spanish. SR Ze 4 4 Z During French class, Amy Zingre, senior, takes notes from her textbook. Foreign Language 203