Warwick High School - Warwick Yearbook (Newport News, VA)

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English Department Stresses Correctness and Composition Is this a dagger I see before me?” More than likely it’s a Senior literature book, yellowed with age and covered with penciled notes. This year in the Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Classes more emphasis was placed on the finer and more intricate aspects of writing and speaking, rather than instruction in the fundamentals of grammar and mechanical correctness supposedly learned in the earlier grades. One may also have heard other quotes and lines from literature such as a gliding great demon on the seas of life” — referring to none other than Moby Pickle, or Yon Cassius has a lean and hungry look” — more than likely a product of fourth period English ! In the lower grades, however, English grammar received the major emphasis with an effort to improve instruction through a concentrated course in English grammar and composition pre- sented during the first semester and completed by a course in literature and composition the second semester. By concentrating on the mastery of the fundamentals in English,” said Mrs. Taylor, teachers hope to turn out students from the eighth and ninth grades who can both speak and write their language with reasonable correctness.” During the second semester, when the eighth and ninth graders were introduced to high school literature, they likely met such classical friends as Great Expectations, The Prince and the Pauper, as well as various forms of 6reek Mythology. Christine Carney: Well, uh, I read this book . . . about this little girl . . . and, uh, she met this wolf . . Now your question was, if the singular of mice is mouse, why isn’t the singular of dice douse?” Journalism students eagerly read about Dick Tracy, an essential part of a news- paper. 22

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Academics At a first glance we see a student, studying. We know she goes to school five days a week and has six classes a day. The question is — What does she learn?” At a second glance we see Pedro Fernandez, an Art student, learning to weave on a loom; Dickie Brushwood and Pat Banks, office assistants, working on the IBM machines; John Allen, a Genetics student, preparing media for his fruit flies; and Billy Dunn, a Physics student, studying kinematics. This is what Warwick’s students learn in their classes — specific subjects, toward specific goals. 21

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I’m sure a circle has corners . . . just let me work it out on my trusty slide rule.” Students Improve Reasoning Through New Math Get out a sheet of paper, please ...” Another of Mrs. Bright’s well-known Trig tests, no doubt, or one of Colonel’s Geometry tests, or maybe one of Mrs. Hazelwood’s Algebra quizzes. Whether it was Trig or General Math, freshmen and seniors alike found that mathematics was simply one problem on top of another, from one plus one to solving quadratic equations. Besides general mat h, more and more eighth graders attempted first year Algebra, which dealt with standard Algebra principles. Students who managed to survive moved on to Geom- etry. The department offered plain, solid, and co-ordinate Geometry in a single year. Second year Algebra and Trigonometry were the next rungs on the mathematical ladder. This year, for the very brave, Advanced High School Mathematics was offered. Students who planned a career in engineering or other vocations which required a mathematical background found the courses offered a great help in advancing toward their planned goals. By the end of the year, each student was familiar with the new con- cepts, proving the Math Department to be an extremely valuable part of Warwick’s curriculum. As for those tests, well, maybe they’ll be easier next year. Now let me think ... a four sided triangle.