Portland High School - Totem Yearbook (Portland, ME)

Page 17 text:

Nixiffi'ricw l'lllNDRlCD THiR'1'r-THRIQIQ 13 Commercial Department Many' stutlents. unahle to attentl college. hare heroine alixe to the opportunities olleretl in the Cloininerrial tlourse. Pupils who have neither the tlesire nor inelinz tion lor a stutly ol' the classics have louncl in this clepart- nient iust the training anal help ther need lor then' lile work. 'lihis eurrit uluni intlutles arithinetitp bookkeeping atrotnning. sliorthaiul. trpewriting, husiness law. aiul tonunereial linglish. 'l'he last naniecl gives special train- ing in the writing ol' business letters and in liling. .X selerlire class in shorthantl and typewriting is lornietl in the Senior year consisting ol' those pupils who have niatle the hesl reeortl in these suhieets tluring their junior year. Senior lypewriting pupils are ealletl upon to do type- writing antl niiineographing lor various aetivities ol' the school. 'l'he tlaily hulletin is prepared by groups, ancl type- writing lor the Iimrlirel antl 'l'oriixr is also clone ln Coni- iuert ial Seniors. Une ol' the hest ways to get a start in a business career is to hetonie a gootl secretary. Many well-known ancl sue- tesslul liusiness nien. who hatl not the advantages ol' col lege training, startetl in lile as secretaries to exeetltives antl each week hrings reports ol' anihitious antl tleter- iuinetl sttulents who l1aveael1iex'etl success in this work. 1.

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P C. E s . , , . PoR'r1,ANn Htczn Sctiiooi. l o'ri-txt L -., iff. ,fn , is Y JPN: English Department For every aviator that performs mari elous lcats in the air while the crowd below watches breathlessly, there are liundreds who guide mail or passenger planes salt-ly to their destinations as a mere matter ol' routine duty. Yet however the flier uses his ability, he has acquired it in every case by dint ol' painstaking ellort. Before he can be trusted in the air alone, even lor his own pleasure, he must know his machine, he must have mastered the rules ol' flying, he must have had sufficient practice in short llights with a teacher, to make his control ol' his plane al- most automatic. So it is with the student ol' English. .X Iiew gilted indi- viduals may win by their writings the applause ol' the public, but a vastly greater number will use their train- ing and skill in the connnonplace experiences ol' every day: the writing of social and business letters. the reading ol' magazines and books, the preparation ol' an occasional club paper or public: speech. ln the high school ltliiglish course, students are offered courses in creative writing. where they may show their originality and test their powers, but they are given also constant practice and in- struction in the l'undamental skills ol' intelligent reading. correct, straiglitlorward writing and accurate speaking.

Page 18 text:

PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL TOTEM Departments of Ancient and Modern Languages To Classical students, the conquest of the air is a fa- miliar conception. lVlercury, -Iove's messenger, was a pio- neer in aviation. Pegasus, the winged steed of the Muses, has his modern descendant in airplane and dirigible, while aviation tragedies recall the story of Icarus. Teaching Greek and Latin with mozlrfrn conlncl is em- phasized by the use ol' charts and bulletin boards display- ing advertisements based upon classic myths: decorative designs which show that the modern world expresses cer- lain ideas in terms ol' Greek and Roman thought: pictures ol' modern publie buildings with classical leaturesfin short, material proving that the Classics play an important part in everyday lilc. The great advance in aviation brings us nearer to France, Germany, and Spain, making it necessary for the student to have a practical knowledge of these countries. The French classes are divided into College and Gen- eral French and give the student a general knowledge of the French language. history, geography, and government. The German classes impart a deeper insight into Cerman customs: the Spanish Department promotes through its course l'riendliness with Spain. 44.4