Mitchell High School - Gold and Blue Yearbook (Mitchell, IN)

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OF GRAMMAR AND THE BEAUTIES OF LITERATURE Skillful use of grammar, composition, and language are essential to effective communication. It is the responsibility of the M.H.S. English Department to teach these basic skills to all students and thereby help them acquire the confidence in self expression which is so necessary today. As a result, the students at M.H.S. are finding an increased emphasis on academic writing. The freshmen at M.H.S. began this process by learning the proper way to handle the ever-growing facilities of the new library along with studying participles, modifiers, and sentence structure. In the sophomore year, students continued the study of grammar and began writing short themes. All iunior classes studied novels and short stories from BILLY BUDD to A Municipal Report. Four English courses were available to M.H.S. seniors this year. In academic English, seniors de- veloped advanced term papers and learned the techniques of writing process and descriptive essays which would prepare them for their coming years in college. Business English considered punc- tuation, spelling, and writing proper business letters. Seniors in standard English studied book reports, poetry, and grammar rules. Great books required that each student read at least four books by famous authors each six weeks. Frank Silvers reviews a book during Academic English. Q . as A ,,3- L Mr. Oswalt Explains a plot diagram of HUCKLEBERRY FINN to Junior Carolyn McClure. Mrs. Parker introduces the new novel to be used by the class to CI small group of interested students. s ig s 4 A . we '

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THE ENGLISH CLASSES OFFER THE INTRICACIES .,,.,1 e E . ' 2 , km-nag-an James Thacker portrays Matthew Brady in INHERIT THE WIND. Students listen attentively while a class member gives a speech. Vicki Blackerby, Larry Leonard, Marty Gore, and Frank Silvers assist each other by checking over their themes before turning them in. 22

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STUDENTS EXPLGRE THE FUNDAMENTALS OF MATH Q1 .wmusg 1 Equations from a new lesson are put on the board in Algebra I class. The basic philosophy of the M.H.S. math depart- ment is to assist the pupil in an appreciation of the importance of mathematics in our technological society. Mitchell High School offers five courses which help the pupil increase his computational skills. Freshmen are required to take either General Math, taught by Mrs. Knight and Mr. Grover Garrett, or Algebra I, taught by Mrs. Doris Gardin. Algebra Il, taught by Mr. William Huffman, is a study of advanced factoring methods, the Pythagor- ean theorem, and quadratic formulas. A one year course in Plane Geometry is also offered under Mr. Huffman. Here the students explore the many ways to construct triangles, parallelograms rectangles, and squares. Senior Math, also taught by Mr. Huffman, deals with trigonometry, a study of six ratios that are determined by angles and directed line segments, and calculus, which emphasizes problems in irregularly shaped obiects. The five math courses of M.H.S. help develop an appreciation of the nature of mathematics in ever- day life. larry Robertson and Jackie Gilbert complete Trigonometric functions. 24