St Josephs Academy - Academia Yearbook (Portland, ME)

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Sadie Nissen. Front, kneeling: Barbara Hanley, Anne M. erry. Back: Marilyn Lee, Angeline Bouchard The Christmas Star, ably directed by Mrs. Duval, Judy-Lee Weymouth, Nancy M frepresenting Our Lady holding the Di- vine Childj and Norma Brown. Speech Class Mrs. Sadie Holden Nissen was engaged this year to instruct Junior and Senior Groups in Speech Improvement and Dramatic Interpretation. Classes were held Thursdays t roughout the season, beginning in October. On December 19th, forty-three pupils appeared in a program presented In the Spirit of Christmas for teachers, students, parents and riends. The combined classes, neat in Academy uniforms accented with Christmas corsages, made an at- tractive verse-choir speaking Gloria In Excelsis impressively. Each student was Cast individually in recitations or plays. Holiday humor highlighted several se- lections, but The Christmas Star, climaxed by a compelling Nativity Tableau, will remain longest in the memory of participants and audience. Colored moving pictures of the Christmas program, shown when classes were resumed after the holiday recess, were viewed with interest and many a chuckle as the participants saw themselves in action. Long-range planning for Spring Speech Presentations began when the Academy grounds were deep in snow. Anne Marie Thomas, Blanche Riley and Mary Brown began to prepare for the University of Maine Speaking Contest-Blanche also representing the Academy in the Spear Contest. The Stage Is Yours, a semi-public program scheduled for May 19th in the,Academy Auditorium, will display the results of the Thursday Speech Sessions-also affording the participants another valuable experience of speaking before an audience. Varied selections have been chosen, including The White Cliffs of Dover by Alice Duer Miller to be interpreted by the Verse Speaking Choir and solo read- ers. On the lighter side, there is The Persecuted Maiden, a miniature melo- drama by the Seniors and Help Wanted, by the juniors, assisted by Mr. Robert Carson. Each pupil will gain self-confidence and poise by speaking alone in play- lets, poems or monologues . . . briefly or at length. The Glee Club and vocal soloists always add charm and balance to Speech Recitals. The sincere good wishes of their Speech Teacher go with the Class of 1954 as they leave St. -Ioseph's Academy for further education, or a life dedicated to a profession, a home or the church. May they always remember they are human be- ings with a soul and the divine gift of articulate speech.

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WAKING UP When the sun in the morning peeps over the hill, And wakens the birds on our window sill, Our hearts are Hlled with gladness, as dawn slowly comes, To begin our day At S. A. PATRICIA LITCHFIELD, '56 MAY In May little flowers lift up their heads, To bask in the welcome sun overhead, Little birds sing their sweet little song Happily and cheerily all day long, Thankful to God for letting them share The beautiful month set aside with care To honor and praise the Queen of Queens- The Blessed Virgin Mary, our Mother. RITA Tnuofrrs, '56 Glasses Mother, how can I! Glasses, ugh! Who wants to look at a girl wearing glasses? I don't really need them, do I? I bet you just want me to look studious. Oh, Mommy, when I walk down the street, people, will stare at me. They will probably say to themselves, 'Poor child, she must have studied too hard! They get that way after a while.' Oh, well, I might as well make the best of it. By the way, did you see those perfectly terrific frames in Charm? Do you think they would make me look too sophisticated? A I gp KATHERINE GRECO, '56 JM Z G 5 Els B..