Newton High School - Newtonian Yearbook (Newton, MA)

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'I if' S .-,.- X r tunities open to him. This kind of job requires a great deal of patience, under- standing, and fortitude, for many times a head guidance counselor ends up deal- ing with difficult people and difficult situ- ations in which crucial decisions are in- volved. Mr. Mitchell has successfully maintained and improved Newton's com- munications with colleges, at the same time he has taken a personal interest in the individual students who pass through his office, either in person or on paper. He is well known for his dedication to his job, his ability to deal successfully with people, and his intelligence and sensitivity. ' t'+'1:12,:. wiv- ,S V: ' ' ' , V l 3 Q' i - .ef V 1 , ,J Teaching Latin every day for over twenty years could be one of the most deadly experiences imaginable. For Eli- zabeth Jewett, however, it has been a lark, for she is a teacher in love with her job, her students, and Newton High in general Cshe always buys a yearbookj. Somehow never failing to inspire, she has guided her students through Caesar's Gallic Wars and Cicero's Orations with a minimum of pain and frustration, she enjoys teaching, and her students in turn enjoy learning from her. She has always managed to bring out the best in a stu- dent, partly because of her skill as a teacher, partly because of her warmth and understanding. Miss Jewett has al- ways stood up for the student, as assist- ant housemaster in Barry House she has helped create an image of Barry House administration as sympathetic to student problems. Her continued excellence has eamed her the admiration and especially Si 1 1' F , 1 I . fl U- ! . . 3 Lf f Sf fr 'i the affection of all who have known her. In his years at Newton High, William B. Spink has established himself as one of the finest dramatic teachers in New Eng- land and has created for the school an unparalleled reputation as a center for dramatic and speech arts. Year after year his productions for the Drama Festival have entered regional competition and emerged victorious. His direction of the Senior Play and his coaching of musicals has resulted in consistently fine per- formances. Mr. Spink is a difficult task- master, he drives his actors, pointing out and exaggerating their every fault, mim- icking their performances, working them to the point of emotional exhaustion. But he is also an inspiring director and leader, forcing a student-actor to rise to his challenge. Many students have found both themselves and their profession under the guidance of Mr. Spink.

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I 'rr . ' . . x rg- 1-, - t kv, ,Q rt . ,1 .t il f, 5. l a-Q How does one prepare to become the superintendent of a school system re- nowned and respected throughout the nation? How did Charles E. Brown get to be Dr. Charles E. Brown? Dr. Brown will tell you that the answer does not lie in a neat package of special privilege and early excellence of education. CHe can remember having had only two stimu- lating teachers as a boyl. The answers lie hidden in a spectrum of unknown variables of a kind that often influence a man and his destiny. As a youth Dr. Brown was more an athlete than a scholar. After a tour of duty in the service however. he acquired a more scholarly inclination and entered Springfield College. He had always wanted to work with young people and started out with the in- tention of getting involved in physical education and recreation. Somehow, however. the sneaker didn't quite fit the Dr. Charles Brown, Superintendent v ' W . -M 'Q ..-fi' ' i ' .. i 1 4 foot. and Dr. Brown found himself de- veloping a more general interest in educa- tion. He became a classroom science teacher. though he felt that eventually he would be involved in administration. He feels that every administrator should teach and supports his position by teach- ing at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Much of Dr. Brown's success as a superintendent lies in the mutual respect that exists between him and the faculty. He never fails to inspire teachersg he has a detailed knowledge of what is going on in the individual classrooms. Dr. Brown is a man dedicated to his work and ex- tremely sensitive to the educational prob- lems of our time. His greatest concern for the future is the necessity of broad- ening educational options and alternatives open to the individual student. In New- ton today there are many students to whom the existing patterns of education do not make a great deal of sense. Most individuals have to make a decision be- tween what is essentially a college pre- paratory course and a Technical High or business course as early as ninth grade. Dr. Brown would like to see this decision postponed until laterg he would also like to give the student a chance to cut across existing patterns in order to prepare for fields such as medical technology which are virtually ignored in the high school right now. To most students at Newton High School, Richard W. Mechem is an enig- matic figure. This is partly because he is really more superintendent than princi- pal. partly because of his own natural re- serve and prudence. Most students never speak to him personallyg many would be startled to meet him face to face in the hallsg almost none ever know the indiv- idual behind the principal's job. When they do get to know him--whether it be in the classroom, at Senior Supper, or in the Student Council - they are almost invariably surprised at what they find. I've always been dissatisfied with a society in which l have found myself. Perhaps this statement comes closest to delineating the forces at work under the man. Mr. Mechem was a self- admitted rebel in school: he quickly be- came disillusioned over the phoniness and artificiality he found around him. He was channeled towards the law and poli- tics and majored in philosophy. but as he progressed in his education he slowly