Benjamin Russell High School - Echo Yearbook (Alexander City, AL)

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Zhe benjamin Russell High School The Benjamin Russell High School, valued at approximately two million dollars, opened its doors for the first time on September 4, 1950, when 479 students in grades nine through twelve appeared for registration. Since that time, each year has found an increase in enrollment, with the present student population being 920. Named for the late Benjamin Russell, the high school contains more than 100,000 square feet of space. It has thirty-four classrooms, of which nineteen are air conditioned. Also included in the facilities are two shops, two auditoriums, a library, a lunchroom with a seating capacity of 500, offices for the principal, counselor, librarian, lunchroom manager, and coaches, numerous lounges for the faculty and students, and a central lobby. The gymnasium has a seating capacity of 1,250, and the main auditorium will seat 1,048 people. During the school year 1964-65, construction work was in progress on an extension of the lunchroom, on the boys' Physical Education Department, and on the girls' Physical Education Department. The north wing, which was added this year, will house the library and the Choral Department. It also has four regular classrooms and is completely air conditioned. These new additions added approximately 18,000 square feet to the school plant. The Benjamin Russell High School is accredited by the Southern Association of High Schools. [ 12 ]

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V School t?fe go s,on even offer 2: 5, ior there are floats to decorate fgr homecoming, arid cTprom to be planned. . • '

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Curriculum Before entering the ninth grade of the Benjamin Russell High School, each student should counsel with the principal or the guidance director and decide his course of stud for the four years of his attendance. He may choose a commercial, a vocational, or a college preparatory course. The commercial courses offered include Typing I and II, Shorthand I and II, bookkeeping, record keeping, business law, and business arithmetic. Many BRHS students who have followed the commercial course have gone directly from this school into full time employment. Vocational courses which train students for future work include journalism, agriculture, industrial arts, and diversified occupations. Training in home economics is also offered. For students who wish to attend an institution of higher learning upon graduation, some of the college preparatory and academic courses are in the field of social studies. They are American history, civics, Alabama history, world history, democracy and economics. The mathematics department offers Algebra I and II, plane geometry, solid geometry, trigonometry, as well as general math. General science, biology, physics and chemistry are subjects taught by the Science Department. Spanish I, II, III and IV are the only foreign language courses offered. The basic requirements for graduation are as follows: four years of English, two years of social studies—one of which must be American history, one year of mathematics, one year of science, and six electives in addition to four years of minor credit. Minor elective credits may be earned in physical education, band, chorus, office, or library work. [ 13 ]