Sharon High School - Marsengold Yearbook (Sharon, MA)

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12 1940 YEAR BOOK what homework means. Because so many of uS had shown great musical talent we were allowed to present an operetta, called Cinderella, starring none other than Virginia Hare and with lorn Nelson playing the part of Prince Lharming. As the production was a gieat success, it showed the faculty and students that our class could work to- gether in a body and produce something worthwhile. When Bobby Paul went to Florida in that winter, he sent us a coconut which was split up into thirty odd pieces — a tasty bit for all. As we were a very good class, Mrs. Snell and Mrs. Matheson took us on two museum trips to Boston where we saw many interest- ing objects — and, on the way home, drowned the noise of the traffic with lusty renditions of DOWN BY THE OLD MILL STREAM. Our year in the seventh grade was uneventful, but it brought us two very im- portant additions in the persons of Ann Alullen and Emily Snow. What could We have done without either of them ? Again because we Were so well behaved Adiss Price took us to see hoAV and from what source w ' ater is pumped into the Sharon homes. Also in the spring our general science class went on a trip to Hill Top Haven for the day. In the eighth grade we had a Junior High Party with games and delicious refreshments for all which latter pleased the boys especially. It was at the close of that year that Barbara Brown, Jane Woodward, and Whitney Alansur with- drew. To conclude our glorious Junior High days we weilt on a class trip on a launch around Boston Harbor with Airs. Hughes. In September 1936, a large and brilliant class noisily and excitedly entered the ninth grade. Now we were freshmen. For j ears we had been told that “I ' n high school you will not be able to do that; you will have to behave!” At last we were to find out. AI iss Chase and Air. A ery v ere our homeroom teachers. There was a difficult adjustment to be made that year, for us, of course; but, though the change from junior high school was a great one, we managed, after a few weeks, to adapt ourselves to our new routine. However, that did not mean that we quieted our voices or became more dignified. Ask Aliss Chase. We didn’t and never have since, Aliss Crocker might add! During our Freshman year, Thais Erving and Granville Gates joined our class ; and at the close of the year, Robert Peck withdrew to attend school in Providence, R. I. In June, as A I iss Chase’s group decided that a little exercise and fun w ' ere necessary to our complete enjo ’ment of the beautiful spring weather, Adiss Chase arranged a trip to Nantasket for us and early one sunny morning, soon after, we started for Boston. Upon arrival, we boarded “The Town of Hull” on which we thoroughly enjoyed our “ocean” voyage to Nantasket. Here we were met by A I rs. Harry U. Peck who graciously entertained us at her ,home. Of course it was absolutely necessary that we indulge in the pleasures of the ocean. However, Cynthia Derry, who was slightly over-anxious, fell in — clothes and all. After swimming, diving and playing in the water, we returned to the Peck’s home where we enjoyed luncheon. Paragon Park and its amusement section which were our next investigation, proved very attractive as long as the money lasted. At six o’clock we boarded the boat for Boston, the delightful trip back to the city ending a day of excitement and fun -for us all. The other Freshman division.

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SHARON HIGH SCHOOL 11 Oisttory of tlie Class of 1940 Florence Urann Leslie Whitcomb Sylvia Paul Virginia Hare Most of the class of 1940, with the exception of a few superior individuals such as H erman AlcGrath, who joined us by double promotion in the fourth grade, en- tered the first grade in 1928. It may be hard to realize that these dignified (?) Seniors once played in the sand box at the School Street School, ran and screamed around the playground, and played peek-a-boo from behind the trees. But thus these Seniors amused themselves when they were in the first grade. On passing to the second grade we graduated from the sandbo.x to the “Houses- on-Rocks” stage. All the girls in the Senior Class must surely remember these “Houses on the Rocks.” For instance, who could forget how every day, at recess, with our two-for-a-penny chocolate cookies clutched tightly in our palms, we used to rush forth to fight over vvdiose house was whose, ownership depending on who got to the rock pile first. The third year also was spent in arguing over the “Houses,” but by the time we reached the fourth grade we had outgrown such childish amusements. This was not our first experience in the Pleasant Street School, as in our second year of progress, due to a fire in February, we had all marched over in single ftle and finished the year in that building. Now, however, we tvere here in our own right. No one will ever know how slowly those clock hands moved in Miss Laf ' ley’s room until she said, “Put your pencils away, it is time for recess.” You must under- stand that recess itself was a secondary matter. What really mattered was the filing up to the teacher with our pennies (or our nickels if we were lucky) and gorging ourselves with the luscious chocolate cookies which they bought. Jackstones and “glassies” now made their appearances in our young lives, and oh! what happy hours were spent haggling over whose “glassy” was closest to the bunny. Sometime during this most enjoyable year, Sylvia Paul joined our class. Time flew by swiftly and before we could say “Jack Robinson” we were safely installed in the fifth grade where many more hours were spent waiting for more of these same cookies. Marn ' of us remember, in connection with that year, the “Indian Cards” (purchased with one cent’s worth of gum) which we used to slave over, waxing them each night so that they would scale perfectly only to take them to school and |lose them the next day to someone whose cards scaled more perfectly. It was in this year that Marjorie Glines moved from Canton and entered our class. When the class of 1940 entered the sixth grade we sighed with relief. At last we were in the big red brick building; we thought we would never get there. And now we would have homework ! .Alas, had we known how we were to suf- fer from it, never, never, never would we have ever wished for it. We used to think how wonderful it would be to carry books home. If we had known that each book represented hours of studying, we would never have envied the upper classmen. Now, we envy the little fourth and fifth graders who do not know

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SHARON HIGH SCHOOL 13 under Air. Avery’s supervision, not to be outdone by those in Aliss Chase’s room, also enjoyed a similar trip to Nantasket. Wishinft, however, to be different, they went by automobile. At the Senior Banquet that year, the Freshman Class proved their originality and ingenuity in the arrangement and decoration of their tables, ' he Coronation of George VI and Queen Elizabeth was the theme. The booth was the most effective of all the class tables. At the end of the year Air. John Hall, “Dapper Jack,’’ and Aliss AVellingtnn left Sharon High School for greater things. Therefore we began our Sophomore year with three new teachers: Air. Arthur B. Lord, Air. Clarence H. Pedley, and Air. Frederick G. AVard. Air. Ward was unfortunate, perhaps, in that he was assigned as one cf the homeroom teachers of the class of 1940. Fh s was our first year in the high school building as our Freshman home- rooms were in the Charles R. Wilber School. As our class was large, it was sepa- rated into three divisions and placed in three homerooms. Aliss Crocker, Aliss Frcrt and Air. Ward were afforded the pleasure ( ?) of our presence. During the winter of the year, the students in Room 3, Aliss Frost’s home- room, presented Jean Valjean as an asserrfbly program. Herbert Gross, one of our illustrious members, played the leadiing role. When, in February, it was borne in upon us that the Sophomore Class had not contributed noticeably to the social life of Sharon High School, we planned an informal dance for St. Pat- rick’s Day evening. However, when we presented our plan at the office, we were chagrined to discover that “It is not the privilege of the Sophomore Class to sponsor a dance in the evening. ITat power rests with the Juniors and Seniors.’’ .Naturally we were disappointed. Did this ston the class of ’40? Of course not! As usual we were not to be dissuaded. In lieu of an evening dance we originated the Sophomore Trot. During the interim Air. Ward organized an orchestra which was “tops” in the musical world and with the cooperation of the band, on Alarch 17, the Sophomore Class suece.ssfully sponsored a tea dance. Undoubtedly the refreshments were the most successful part of the dance. However, the finan- cial returns far exceeded our expectations and we were thoroughlv satisfied. It was during our Sophomore year that the divis’on under Air. Ward’s su- pervision decided to redecorate Room 6. The desks which detracted from the appearance of the room were removed; tables and chairs were put in their place; the walls and floor were refinished ; and the room became far more attractive than formerly. In this same year, Kathleen Curran and Rosalie Holman temporarily joined our class, but withdrew at the end of the school year. Juniors, at last! Room 12 was cur homeroom under the supervision of Aliss Newton. However, the class was so large that Air. Pedley found himself in charge of an overflow. In September of this year, 1938, we were all saddened by the death of Robert Davis who was killed while cleaning up debris during the hurricane. A Student Council Convention was held at Sharon High School during the autumn in which many of our classmates partic pated. It was a great success. The visiting schools enjoyed their dinner and the ensuing entertainment, while we all derived benefit from the entire convention.