South Side High School - Optimist Yearbook (Newark, NJ)

Page 21 text:

 SfiT| the optimist Own First Regiment, and made clothes for the French; and the whole school worked selling bonds of the Second Liberty Loan. Everyone saved his tinfoil; it was brought to school and turned over to the Girls’ Patriotic League, which sold it and applied the money to war work. Students re- duced their daily luxury of candy, ice cream, and cake, thus doing their bit to save sugar, and giving the money saved to the government. A large number of the students pledged themselves to earn ten dollars for the Y. M. C. A., and almost all joined the Red Cross. The 4A Class funds, which would probably have been spent for a trip to a New York theater, were given to the Girls' Pa- triotic League. Thrift Stamps were being sold in large amounts, and there was much rivalry between the rooms as to which would lead the grade. The average per pupil for each room was read in Assembly every day. As every student of South Side joined the Red Cross, the school became an auxiliary. Dur- ing the Third Liberty Loan, South Side sold $55,600 in bonds. At this time the school received word that Karl S. Pennell, a South Sidcr in the Marine Corps, had been wounded in action, our first casualty. Every student in the English Classes composed a Four Minute Speech. urging the buying of War Saving Stamps, and the best one from each of the eight grades was read in As- sembly. Later similar speeches on the Liberty Loan and Red Cross were given. The weekly average of the school in buying Thrift Stamps at this time was $550. In September. 1918, Newark Junior College was organized and located in South Side High School. In order to facilitate the buying of Thrift Stamps by the students, a School Bank was formed Dr. Kennedy was elected President. Ira Sheppard Treasurer. Edwin S. Dore Secre- tary. The distributors were Mr. Hunkins. Mr. The First Graduating Class 17

Page 20 text:

THE OR T I M I S T ]W son of the Board: and Dr. Kennedy. The Optimist was selected as the title of the school paper from among the many names sug- gested ; these included: Scarab, Sou’wester, Cactus. Clarion, Excelsior, Southern Sun. The first number was issued in November. 1913. There was placed in the corridor a wooden receptacle resembling a letter-box, where the students could leave stories, articles or jokes submitter! for pub- lication in The Optimist. DtfOKL THE COSING Of THE MUTE 1AA TUS HILL WD TK£ tARB. STRIA ! 1AR U Ilif BOUNDARY BftVEI THl L ADS of m HACXINSVC CD THE RARITAN TRIBES wn|1() 0! THE LEW LI I . NAY 10 16«.« RtfRL-EJftATTTFS Of E-AKK D IUI 1 ITS MTU! REDMRE AS ■ FXIDT £ 5AMI B« WOW TO SEPARAT TBl TOO TOOK srTTUI ATS HESTltt .M „UUa5Y THE r«DCV s«UK AW. as HERE rtK XV AS VX M) CREEK AM) ■ls Hivrxct has HUffocmoivr da: . It was believed by Dr. Kennedy and the faculty that one of the reasons why so many pupils left high school during their first year was the sud- den change from the teaching methods of the Grammar to the High School. In the elementary schools the pupil had only one teacher for all sub- jects while in the secondary school he had six or seven, one for each subject, and none personally interested in him. Therefore the plan was inau- gurated of having every teacher of the freshman grade teach at least two subjects to the same pupils and act as adviser to the students under his care. It was also suggested by Dr. Kennedy that South Side add two years to the course and become a Junior College, but this idea was not adopted until 1918. In February 1914. one thousand dollars was appropriated for a library. Fach teacher sub- mitted a list of books on the subjects which he taught, and Dr. Kennedy made the final selection. The library was opened for use in March. 1915. and Miss Helen Wolfs was appointed librarian. The General Organization organized in March and held their first election on the seventeenth. South Side also acquired an athletic field on Hill- side Avenue during this month. A German comedy. “Jugcndfreunde, was given very successfully by the German Club on May 8. 1914, the first play to be given at South Side. The actors were coached by Dr. Giehl. head of the Department of German. The Dramatic Club presented their first play. “Trial by Jury,” by Gilbert and Sullivan, in 1914. Plays have been presented nearly every year after this. The Summer High School of the city was held at South Side during the vacation of 1915. In 1916. Newark celebrated her 250th Anniver- sary. South Side's activities included an exhibit of work done by the school children of the city, participation in a parade of school children, an athletic meet at Weequahic Park, and the placing of a tablet on Divident Hill in Weequahic Park. The Hill was originally used by the Indians as a dividing landmark between the tribes, and later the settlers of Newark and Elizabeth met there and declared it to be the official boundary, between the towns. The Department of Parks erected there a building in the form of a Greek temple. South Side raised money for a bronze tablet which related the history of the Hill, and on May 20. 1916. it was unveiled in the presence of students of Battin High School representing Elizabeth. In February 1917, the idea of Recognition Day was inaugurated. Each pupil received a pin rep- resenting the number of times he had been on the Honor Roll, and those who had been so hon- ored twenty-five times or more received their pins from Dr. Kennedy in the presence of the school. These pins were bronze, from 1 to 10. silver from 11 to 24. and gold for 25. South Side was very active during the war. which began on April 7. 1917. As the govern- ment had requested citizens to save food, many of the students had war gardens, and raised vege- tables enough to keep their tables supplied all summer. Every afternoon after school the girls sewed on garments for French women and chil- dren. As the government had ordered the dis- banding of all amateur radio stations, the Wire- less Club turned their attention to learning the c xlc and teaching it to others. During the First Liberty Loan Drive, South Side sold over $36,000 in Ixmds. On April 27. exercises were held in the Assem- bly urging the enlistment of students who had attained the required age. There were represen- tatives of each of the seven branches of the service—infantry, cavalry, artillery. Marine Corps. Navy. R. O. T. C., and aviation. South Side had six of her boys in active service, beside many in the agricultural army. During the term of September, 1917, there was a great deal of war activity. The Wireless Club members practised wig-wag and heliograph sig- naling: the girls knitted sweaters for Newark’s

Page 22 text:

THE OPTIMIS T White and Mr. Strong. Class Thrift Presidents were also elected and it was their duty to collect the class money and receive Thrift Stamps in return. In October, 1918, the school did its part in the United War Work Campaign. The seven chief welfare organizations united in a drive for funds. Each student who earned and contributed five dol- lars became a “Victory Boy,” or Victory Girl.” The students were urged to save prune, plum and peach pits, which were used in making gas masks, and receptacles were provided in the school where they could be deposited. The Girls’ Patriotic League dressed and sold «lolls representing nurses, soldiers, sailors, farmerettes and other war work- ers. Some of our girls worked on farms during the summer vacation and later were excused from their studies for two weeks in order to help har- vest the crops. In the Fourth Liberty Loan Campaign, South Side raised $76,000, almost double the total of any other Newark high school. The work was interrupted by the schools being closed for two weeks on account of the Spanish influenza. On November 11, when news of the signing of the Armistice reached South Side, exercises were immediately held in the Assembly, and then school was dismissed for the day. South Side purchased Thrift and War Savings Stamps to the amount of $21,000 during 1918. On Arbor Day an elm was planted in memory of South Side’s war heros. In the Victory I oan Campaign, in April. 1919, South Side raised over $50,000. In recognition of this fact. Uzal H. McCarter, the chairman of the Newark Liberty Loan Com- mittee, sent the following letter to Dr. Kennedy: NEWARK LIBERTY LOAN COMMITTEE 763 Broad St. City Uzal H. McCarter. Chairman Newark. N. J., May, 15. 1919. Professor T. F. Kennedy. Principal. South Side High School My Dear Mr. Kennedy:— I am leaving town tomorrow for a week’s trip in the South and have taken this occasion to ex- press to you, and through you, to the pupils of your school, my very high appreciation for the wonderful results attained bv them in the last Liberty Loan Campaign. My recollection is that the South Side High School has led all the other schools in the city by a large margin in each of the five Liberty Loan Drives. Such results prove conclusively two things: first, the organization which was formed for that purpose, and secondly, the loyal, patri- otic spirit which was in the hearts of the pupils of your school and which cannot help but make them most valuable citizens to our country as they grow older and must assume the responsibili- ties and cares of government in the place of the present generation. I wish 1 might have the opportunity of express- ing in person to the boys and girls my personal very high appreciation and thanks for the work that they did and the great results that they achieved. Faithfully yours, (Signed) Uzal H. McCarter, Chairman. On November 3, 1919, a tablet was dedicated to the “golden deeds of Newark’s women during the World War. This tablet was placet! in the City Hall by the Schoolmen’s Club of Newark, with the assistance of the pupils of Newark’s public schools. CITIZENS OF NEWARK KEEP IN UNDYING REMEMBRANCE THE NOBLE WOMEN OF OUR CITY. WHO IN THE WORLD WAR FOR HUMAN FREEDOM GAVE THEIR DEVOTED SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRYS SACRED CAUSE ERECTED SY THE SCHOOLMEN'S CLUB ASSISTED BY THE BUHLS 0B THE NEWARK BUBLIC SCHOOLS NEWARK DAY. NOVEMBER 1 1919 Miss Fleanor P. Kennedy, daughter of Dr. Thomas F. Kennedy. President of the club, un- veiled the tablet after exercises in the First Presbyterian Church. There was an audience of about five hundred people which included two hundred and fifty school children. After the unveiling. Dr. Kennedy introduced the 18