Tazewell High School - Peak Yearbook (Tazewell, VA)

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Valedictorian- Sandy Shepard Salutatorian— Jenny Surface Achievements All students at Tazewell High School have their yearly grades averaged according to the National Association of Secondary School Principals plan. The grades for Seniors are again averaged at the end of the first semester of the senior year and the GPA (grade point average) is deter¬ mined at this time on the 4-point scale. Many students often have the same GPA, although among the upper 5% there is usually a fractional difference so that two emerge as Valedictorian and Salutatorian. These are only two of the academic achievements for which Tazewell High School students strive. The Governor’s Conference for the Gifted is de¬ signed for rising juniors and seniors who are gifted and or talented in the fine arts, the humanities, the natural and physical sciences, and or history and so¬ cial sciences. Governor’s school for the Gifted- Tom Pridgen 15

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The Western Civilization class of Tazewell High School received a grant for the Poet-in-the Schools program during the year 1974-75. The two phase project was incorporated in the class plans for the year by developing and in depth study of Tazewell County History and a one-week poetry seminar. The research for the history included several field trips by the class, numerous lectures and class reports. The quiet poet for the poetry seminar was Dr. R. Baird Shuman, professor of Education at Duke University, who worked with many individuals and presented public lectures on poetry during the week. The enthusiasm and excitement of the “poet project was widespread and has had a lasting effect on the English program at Tazewell. 14

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D VOICE F M O C R A C Y David Saunders won second place honors in the state Voice of Democracy contest and first place in the district. David, grandson of Mr. Mrs. Jim Higginbotham of Tazewell, became eligible for the state contest by win¬ ning both the local and distri ct contests. The local contest held on Dec. 5, 1974, as spon¬ sored by the Barnes-Beavers Post No. 7136 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. David’s original essary was entitled “My Responsibil¬ ity as a Citizen.” WINNERS: D. Saunders, 1st place; M. Hankins, 2nd place; E. Nash, 3rd place. P. Harman, B. Hankins, M. Hankins, M. Rodriquez, H. Brown, R. Heldreth, M. Kinder, E. Nash, P. Ramey, D. Saunders, R. Conn. These 10th, 1 1th, and 12th grade students were eligible to inter¬ pret (in original essays) the theme, “My Responsibility as a Citizen.” The best essays, from three to five minutes in length, were then read to a panel of local judges. These judges determined which essay from Tazewell High should be sent to the district contest. The district essays, in turn, were sent to the state contest. 16