YOUTH SEEKS EDUCATION John ltlavromates enrolled in Norwalk High School in January. 1946. after a trip from Athens, Greece, to Norwalk. John is fortunate to leave war torn Europe to come to a city and school so little affected by the great war. Norwalk students are fortunate to have .Iohn bring them this message from the Old World. SOMETHING ABOUT SCHOOL Today I have completed my first week of school. Certainly it would be better to say that fl have started after twelve whole years seating at the pupil's desk. But I do not mind for that. The only thing that I am interested in is how can I learn the English quickly and correctly for I cannot do anything without it and for another reason that I want to continue in higher studies. Uoming here last August after an absence of eleven years, I knew only a few words and phrases just enough to get up on my voyage to America, My limited knowledge was due exclusively to the war. Before the war I was taking private lessons from a boy who lived with us. Ile was from Cyprus and he came to Athens to attend the University. When he had some extra time out of his studies he taught me some lessons. The time went on until the day which the wild howlings of the sirens an- nounced that from that moment we were in a belligerent. situation. lt was the 28 of October. 1940. exactly one month affter the school's opening. I was then in the Sth grade. That morning we went to school as usual but the principal informed us that the school will close until we receive new command. The schools remained closed till after the German occupation. Then they were reopen for there wa.s not any more fear from bombings by the Allied air force. because the Germans during these years of her victories-,4l and '42-engaged the Allies i11 other theaters. But the ed-ucation was incompleted as you imagine that in six months we took out two grades with two' more compulsory lessons, the German and the Italian languages. This did not make any difference for us because no one paid any attention to these lessons. But I lost my English. When the Germans came in. the boy who lived with us could not receive any more money from his parents so he left his studies and taught English lessons as a liveli- hood. Two months did not pass and the Gestapo took him prisoner with the only reason that he was teaching English. We were so afraid after t.l1at and when little days later the II. S, de- clared war against Germany. my mother burnt all the English books that we had in the house library. So from that time until liberation I had not seen a single English word. And now being back to see what about school. The third year of the war, 1943. was the worst for our education. Nearly every day we had air raids so the school was our house and when June came we went to school only for a. week to take examinations. The next year. 19-14, were lucky for us, bc- cause the new school year found us free. 'l hcn the educational department informed us that the new school term will bc I2 months in order to make up the education we were deprived. But last July I left Europe and I lost the rest ot' the term which ended last December and with it my high sehool's diploma. I do not mind so much for one year that I lost. as I am interested to learn another language as well as I know the other. The first thing when I came here was to take private lessons which would help me to enter the school. And now today I have completed the first week of the thing that I asked for. I hope that this year will take me close to you people to make me forget all about the past. starting a new life. wishing you at the same time to never learn the real meaning of these two words: War and Invasion.
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ll. C. Ellis, Mi. Union, Oberlin, M. A. Superintendent Elsie Miller Secretary to Superintendent Joan Tueker ADMINISTRATIO C. N. Stevenson, Ohio Wesleyan, M, A., Principal Mrs. Kathryn J. Hettel Seorefary to Principal Susan Griffin Seeretary Supplies Norwalk Board of Education llli. G. I . lQlNN, President DOROTHY M. l+'URli0Nll, Vive-president AIQTIIUR U, 1+ll,lN'll1lR, Clerk DR. T. M. PATRICK J. N. OREBAUGH
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