Timmins High and Vocational School - Porcupine Quill Yearbook (Timmins, Ontario Canada)

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Z0 - The PORCUPINE QUILL ' i' Act II The Mine Scene I: NCROWDING THE CAGE Ah, the glory of the day's work, whether With hand or brain! -Walt Whitman quoted by Sir William Osler f .frrrctta tim e if Q iiaootallif f r h To give the readers of The Quill an idea of the number of races and nationalities repre- sented in our school, We have asked a number of students to write for our columns an account of the schools from which they or their parents have come. In Scotland Although Scotland is famous throughout the world, for her centres of learning and her system of education, Ontario's schools corn- pare very favourably with hers. In Scotland, because of the strict disci- pline, the teachers do not seem to be human and the pupils are shy and diflident with them. In Ontario, the teachers appeal more to the student's sense of justice, and severity is seldom necessary. In Scottish schools the pupils are taught vocational as Well as cultural subjects. Girls are taught sewing, knitting and cooking and boys, manual work. If he makes an excep- tionally good piece of work, some lucky boy will receive the Merit Certificate from Buck- ingham Palace, and his work will enter the London Museum. The other subjects of the curriculum are similar to those taught in Ontario. The chief sport in Scottish schools is foot- ball, which all boys are compelled to play. The next in importance is swimming. Every day the boys and girls are taken to the public swimming pool, where they must learn to swim. Headball, softball, and cricket are among the other games played. There is less stress placed on the Entrance fEditor's Notel or Qualifying examinations in Scotland. This relieves the pupil of the nervousness so common in Ontario at the time of the de- partmental examinations. A medal called the Dux Medal, is given to the head of the class each week, and the pupil who keeps it longest during the term is given a prize. At the end of the Christmas term, books are given to pupils who have obtained a certain standing, These prizes arouse the spirit of competi- tion, which is very common in Scottish schools. The Scottish people have a great system of education-one that the Scottish lads and lassies should be proud of-just as We in Ontario are proud of ours. JAMES VEITCH. American Public Schools The schools in my home city of Detroit diiier from Ontario schools in several ways. There, the primary or elementary schools take one to the sixth grade. The intermediate school includes grades seven to nine. Then come the high schools, or grades ten to twelve, which correspond to Canadian secondary schools. The advanced schools are called Universities as in Canada.

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19 - The PORCUPINE QUILL i'lw- Interlude fbi: THE FAMILY RE-UNION 25th Anniversary Discovery of the Porcupine Gold Mines The celebration of the 25th anniversary of the discovery of gold in the Porcupine Camp began on Wednesday, May 23, 1934 and ended on Wednesday, June 6. Two weeks of colour- ful, unforgettable pictures of the Porcupine Gold Camp, in its youth and as it is now, were presented. This great celebration took place in the Timmins Arena lsituated on Balsam Street, near the Goldfields Theatrel under the guidance of Reverend Father C. E Ther- iauit and with the help of several committees -General, Reception and Mines. The cele- bration was both a great success and a great tribute to the town of Timmins, which is fast progressing. The celebration was ofiicially opened on May 23rd by the Honourable Charles McCrea and the Honourable J. E. Perreault, Ministers of Mines for Ontario and Quebec. Their pre- sence was indeed a great honour to the Por- cupine Camp, especially to the citizens Of Timmins, who feel proud that they can boast of having one of the greatest gold mines in the world. Their enthusiasm was clearly shown on the opening day, when they thronged into the Arena. The inside was like a beautiful garden, for eve1'y compartment. small or large, Was de- corated in the finest, bright colours, bright lights glittered everywhere. The leading manufacturers displayed their wares in a most effective and interesting way. Samples of their different products were given to the onlookers. Grocery stores also made beau- tiful showings of choice and delicious foods, domestic and imported. But best of all was the display, in the mining section. of the yellow ore which has made the name of Timmins a word on the lips of every- one. This section was organized by the leading mines of the camp. Mining imple- ments used as early as 1909 were shown. They consisted of helmets, candles, which were later replaced by the so-called miners' lamp, drilling machines, dynamite caps and various other gadgets. Only by looking at the changes in tools can one realize the great progress the mines of the Porcupine Camp have made. In addition to these dispiays, there were large photos of underground workings, crews of men and machines, there were pict1u'es of the first Hollinger shaft- and merely to look at it would make one tremble, it seemed so dangerous and threat- one shaft sprang the It is as Premier Henry ening. Out of that great Hollinger Mines. said, Twenty-five years is a brief period in Interior of a Gold Mine a country's history, but it is a long time in the career of gold mining in this province. These displays by the mines outlined clearly the history of the Porcupine Gold Camp. While the souvenirs of former days were being displayed in the arena, the Crescent Amusement Company's big midway on the grounds next to the arena was in full swing. It provided laughter, entertainment and thrills for the throng of old-timers. One could not fail to see the light of gaiety and enthusiasm in their eyesg for old memories were being reviewed. There were competi- tions of first aid crews who demonstrated the use of first aid equipmentg there were miners' drilling contests which involved the setting up of a complete drill. There were pie-eating contests, bagpipe competitions and fashion shows. On June Sth the celebration of this twenty- fifth anniversary ended. But in the two weeks the development of the Porcupine Gold Camp was relived. The history of 'limmins is short, but eventfulg we, as citizens of Tim- mins. realize that: We live in deeds, not years, In heart-throbs, not in figures on a dial? - LOUIS GUOLLA

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the 21 The PORCUPINE QUILL .l The lunch hours are not the same in On- tario as in Detroit. They have twenty minutes for lunch and eat it in the lunch room on the top door of the school. This shortens the school day considerably. For ten cents, students can have a scoop of potatoes with gravy, two slices of bread and butter, a piece of meat, a half pint of milk, and a dish of prunes or apricots, which would make any- one's mouth water. Another way in which the Detroit schools diier is in the wider range of subjects, which include Aeronautics, Automobile construction. Jewelry construction, printing and metal pat- ternmaking. 'Ihe organization of the School is different too. The High School and the Technical School students take Mathematics, English, and such subjects together and and separate for shop work and for certain High School Academic Subjects. There are tests every two weeks, and to determine the standing for the term, the average is taken of all the tests. The grades or marks needed to attain this mark are as follows: A4uperior, 100 p .c. to 90 p.c. B-Above Average, C-Average, 80 p.c. D-Below Average, E-Failure, 70 p.c. If a student earns may be promoted to twice a year, as the 90 p.c. to 80 p.c. to '75 p.c. 75 p.c. to 70 p.c. to 0 p.c. a pass mark or over, he a higher grade or class grades are divided into two parts. If a student earns 80 p.c. or over in any subject, he does not have to write the final examination in that subject. The bui.dings of Detroit Schools are very attractive and well constructed. They cover a city block and are from three to ten stories high. There are elevators for the students and teachers, and swimming pools ranging from four to seven and a half feet deep. Div- ing boards and life poles are included in the equipment. The Auditoriums seat 500 to 3500 . The school I attended had thirty-live hundred seats. This Auditorium had a bal- csny which ran up from the second storey to the fourth, with entrances on each floor. We also had the staggered system to ac- commodate a larger number of students. BOB MITCHELL, TBA. In France Schools in France are not very diierent from those in Canada, except that Greek and Ro- man history are taught to very young children and also Greek and Roman mythology. Many older children follow courses on different subjects and to do this they go to several schools, rather than one. School days are Monday, Tuesday, Wed- nesday, Friday and Saturday. Thursday and Sunday are holidays. The school year begins in October and ends the last of July. There were more convents and private schools in France before 1902. when the gov- ernment passed a law expelling all religious orders from the country. Then parents were obliged to send their children to government schools: but still there are, even now, many private schools. for French people do not believe in mixing classes, as we do in America. Parents of better education would not send their children to public schools, for fear they would be in contact with children of an in- ferior class. MARGUERITE THERIAULT. In Germany The Voll-:schule ' of Germany is an eight-year institution supported by the state and free to all pupils. Boys and girls are taught in the same class in the smaller communities and in separate classes or separate schools in larger centres. All the children go to the elementary school at the age of six. School hoLu's are earlyg boys and girls have to be at school at seven o'clock in the morning in summer and at eight o'clock in the winter. Music and theatres are regarded as a. part of education. The talented pupils in the schools form together to make a string orch- estra to entertain the adults. Pupils who graduate from the Volkschule go into technical school, where they are pre- pared for trades, or to the high school called the Gymnasium. The training in Gymna- sium is superior to that in American schools. especially in Greek, Latin and Science, and is very heavily loaded on the literary side. In Germany parents and teachers com- municate, and the child is under the strictest rule of obedience and respect toward the teachers.