Scarborough High School - Four Corners Yearbook (Scarborough, ME)

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FOUR CORNERS (i to be a great aid in promoting attendance and increased effort in the preparation of the different studies. The plan provided that all students hav¬ ing a rank of eighty-five per cent and perfect attendance would be exempt from all tests. For each day of absence, an additional five per cent need be attained. Thus, if absent for one day, it is necessary for the student to have a rank of ninety per cent. Though this plan has a tendency to draw the student from the home work where he is sometimes sorely needed, one glance at the attendance book and rank card would be convincing proof of the increased effort, both in attendance and in the preparation of lessons which the exemption list has brought about. R. Leon Laky. A table for the use of the classes in chemistry has been built this year and placed in the large recitation room. Eight double drawers enable the students, work¬ ing in pairs, to complete the necessary number of experiments for college entrance requirements. At the best, this arrange¬ ment is a makeshift to bridge the gap until a new High School is erected which will contain enough space for laboratories to be used solely for that purpose. The main¬ tenance of a lunch counter and chemical laboratory in the same room might give rise to even dangerous possibilities. The Current Event classes which were started last year have been continued through the present year. The students make use of the I. iter ary Digest which is furnished by Funk Wagnalls at the school rate of .06 per copy, and speak before their respective classes without the use of notes. This has proved to be a most valuable practice, not only in training them to speak on their feet, but in acquainting them with an unbiased review of events of world wide interest. Another decided improvement has been introduced among our school equipment this year in the shape of electric lights. These were intended primarily for the use of the evening school classes, but their use is surely appreciated by all of us on dark days. The change to daylight saving in Port¬ land has resulted in the morning session beginning at 8:00 a. m. standard time instead of S:3o as formerly. During the fall term a second annual book day was held for the benefit of the Scarborough High School library which resulted in about fifty additional books being secured. Since then other volumes have been purchased or donated, thus bring¬ ing the number of new books up to seventy. A copy of the World’s Almanac and the Revised Statutes of Maine have been pur¬ chased, and through the effort of Harold Bennett ’23, a number of excellent books of fiction have been given. Among these are “Lavender and Old Lace,” “Beside the

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lEiittDriala Despite the added cost of production this year we have tried to keep the paper up to its usual standard of excellence, and feel that many features are showing a decided superiority over those of former editions. As all know, the size of a paper depends upon the number of ads that it can secure, for it is from these ads that the chief source of revenue is obtained. Business firms and individuals have responded well to our call for ads and it is hoped that while looking through the paper ihe reader will not fail to take notice of the advertisements, and whenever possible, patronize the firms represented. It has been said by a great many people that Scarborough High does not fit students for college, but this has been disproved, for five of our boys and girls who entered col¬ lege last fall have all passed very credit¬ ably, and one student who is at Bates College passed with flying colors, receiving “A” in all of her studies. There are also members of the same class and of former classes who are holding important positions in the business world. This goes to show that although the boys and girls of Scar¬ borough go to a building that is not wholly adequate they come up to the mark in their studies. 1 ' his is an example of what we can do under the conditions now. What a great chance we would have to make a bet¬ ter success of ourselves if we had a standard High School Building! We have spent all the ready cash solic¬ ited for the development of our play ground and are now devising plans to obtain more in order to complete our grounds by the addition of a giant stride and a maple slide. These are very popular amusements, this fact being proved in a Portland play ground, when, after the tots were snoozing in bed, children of the second stage made use of these articles to such an extent that the pleasure was forbidden them. At present the children of primary school age are enjoying a sand box and teeter boards. High school students and even faculty members often find their way to the latter. At the rear of the building is the appa¬ ratus for basket ball where boys of both Grammar and High Schools are found. The principal center of attraction just now is the tennis court. Seats are to be provided and placed near the court for the benefit of spectators. Back of the tennis court is a space which is known as the base ball diamond. We are endeavoring to make our play ground a huge success, for the pupils are not only afforded a means of amusement, but physical development as well. PI. E. K. ’2i This year a plan of having an exemption list was introduced and though it has been in effect for only a short time, it promises

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FOUR CORNERS Bonny Brier Bush,” “Freckles,” “David Harem,” “Animals I Have Known,” and others. “Beltane, the Smith,” “Slippy McGee,” and “The Riding Kid of Powder River” are also recent editions. “The Four Million” and “Cabbages and Kings” were bought for the benefit of short story writers in the Senior Class. Those interested in the High School can express their interest in no more permanent and acceptable way than by giving standard works of fiction or reference to our library. This year all the books have been covered with a heavy library paper to insure their protection, so that any who feel like making us a gift will know that such gifts will be properly cared for. The most important experiment attacked this year was the maintenance of an evening school two nights a week during the winter term for the benefit of the public at large. Registration was begun at the end of the fall term, but the regular sessions did not commence until the beginning of the winter term when good sized classes were formed in all the subjects offered. Courses in Stenography and Typewriting were taught by E. G. Bessey, Bates, ’13, Principal of the High School; Penmanship and Commercial Arithmetic by E. P. Bul¬ lock of Milliken, Tomlinson Co.; Mechani¬ cal Drawing by Rev. Renscl Colby of the Black Point Church; Business English and Modern European History by Miss Bryant of the High School force. An excellent average attendance was kept up in spite of numerous storms and the impassable condition of the roads. Mr. James Gower and Mr. A. W. Hodgman hold the record for perfect attendance. At the closing session classes were suspended and everybody had a jolly good time. A spelling match was held in which Principal E. G. Bessey proved his superior spelling ability. Refreshments of hot cocoa, sandwiches, ice cream, and cake were served, and these found enthusiastic favor. Mr. Swinburn, in a few well-chosen words presented the instructors with a remembrance of the winter’s work. To Mr. Bullock, a Masonic pin; to Mr. Bes¬ sey, an Odd Fellow’s emblem; and to Mr. Colby and Miss Bryant, each a book. It created considerable amusement when someone suggested that the two latter had “a lot more to learn.” With Mr. Bessey as pianist, a social sing was enjoyed, espe¬ cially “John Brown’s Baby,” when Mr. Colby demonstrated how the aforesaid gentleman rubbed it with camphorated oil. That Scarborough folks can sing splendidly was very evident when it came to “Carry Me Back to Old Virginny” and other well- known songs. With an appropriation of $200 which was made at the town meeting in March, supplemented by another from the State Department of Education, we should have a flourishing school another year. A new set of school song books has been bought this year and a good part of the numbers already learned. Miss Bartlett