University High School - Bisbila Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

Page 10 text:

Counseling Staff Stresses Communication In attendance at one of the Counseling area’s weekly meetings were Mr Donald Houge. Mrs F.lnorn Huyck, Dr I-orraine Hansen, guidance director, and Mr. Otto Wirgau. Work with students and the inter-related concerns of their parents and teachers was again the primary objective of the Counseling area this year. This was done not only with conferences and consultations, but through new and varied programs which were planned during part of a weekly area meeting. One of the new programs, which was actually a renewal” of an old service to students, was the newsletter Personnel-ly Yours.” This publication was revived in hopes that it would strengthen communication between the counselors, students and their parents by making them aware of the activities going on in the Counseling area. An example of activities publicized by Personnel-ly Yours” was National Vocational Guidance Week which offered contests and events of interest to promote the importance of career opportunities. The counseling staff welcomed three new members: Mrs. Laurabeth Hicks, Mr. Donald Houge and Mr. Otto Wirgau. They worked primarily with the individual needs of students, which ranged from helping solve a personal problem to interpreting a test score. However, programs such as the senior women’s and grade level seminars were also established to help students as a group. Mr» l iurabeth Hicks, n returning U High counselor, was on leave of absence from Southern University 6

Page 9 text:

Dr. Emma Birkmaier. prolVswor of modern language education. Dr. Edith West, professor of social studies education. Senior Professors Take Active Role Some of the familiar faces around U High expanded their school-related activities to include membership on an executive committee working on matters involving curriculum research and the formulation of departmental policy. The committee, made up of Emma Birkmaier, professor of modern language education; Clarence Boeck, professor of science education; Donovan Johnson, professor of mathematics education; and Edith West, professor of social studies education, worked with Gerald Firth, director of University High and chairman of the group. Members of the senior professional staff along with Dr. Firth have found that the problems of secondary education have been easier to focus on now that a full department, including University professors outside of school, has been organized. The program has been in progress for two years and is concerned with a broad overall policy which considers such questions as what requirements or standards must a teacher meet to be certified and what constitutes a mtyor. To keep the executive committee more in touch with U High’s basic problems and needs, an advisory council composed of the heads of various subject areas assists the group. They are concerned mainly with instructional demonstration and school operation.” An example of this is a laboratory that was set up this year by Dr. Boeck and Dr. Eugene Gennaro, science area head, for the purpose of teaching instructors and pre-service teachers how to use lab equipment. Dr. Clarence Boeck. professor of science education. Dr. Donovan Johnson, professor of mathematics education. 5

Page 11 text:

Many new goals for the Audio Visual Operators Club (AVOC) were established this year by Mr. Lucius Butler, in his first year here. One of Mr. Butler’s long range goals was to improve the operation of AVOC by having a member in each class, so that pages need only deliver the machines to the classrooms. He also hoped to make the instructional material center greater by working in cooperation with the library. Mrs. Phyllis Thomley, librarian, aided by Mrs. Bette Ripke and Mrs. Dell Smith, spent another busy year in charge of U High’s library materials. Besides the job of selecting new materials such as the many new modem language publications for an ever-expanding library, Mrs. Thomley was supervisor for 10 pages and chief disciplinarian of one of the most populated areas of the school. The complete change in health personnel brought, for the first time in recent years, a full time nurse to U High. Mrs. Audrey Lysne’s duties included not only running a treatment center, but helping students with all their problems during any hour of the school day. Upon Mrs. Lysne’s departure in January, the Health area was supervised by Dr. Jeanne Diefenbach. Processing books in the back room was just one of the jobs Mrs. Phyllis Thomley taught her pages during the year Changes Made in AVOC, Library, Health Dr. Jeanne Diefenbach gave U High studenta their periodical examinations at the Health center during fall quarter. 7 Mr. Lucius Butler introduced several changes in the AVOC area in his first year as coordinator.