Waterford High School - Excalibur Yearbook (Waterford, CT)

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Lucille Usison The world of Waterford High is centered around the building at 20 Rope Ferry Road. The The American Field Service promotes understanding between 51 countries of the world through the exchange of students. Last year 1,170 students came to the United States from Europe, the Near and Far East, and South and Central America to spend a senior year in American schools while 1,109 students from the United States traveled abroad under the exchange program. Interest in the AFS program for Waterford High School started in 1958 when two students, Gretchen Wilbur '60 and John Thompson '60, attended a student council conference at Yale University and learned about the AFS. With Mrs. Nancy Roberts' co-operation, former principal John E. Palmer, the community, and the student body were informed of this program which is of such benefit to both the student who travels and the school and community which sponsors him. In May 1959, an all-school assembly was held to give the students a chance to decide whether they wished to par- ticipate in the program. Mrs. Nancy Roberts, a Spanish teacher here then and a former exchange student to Ger- many, spoke of her experiences in the AFS program. Five students from the Robert F.. Fitch Senior High school of Groton also spoke about the program. Waterford students decided unanimously to support the program with interest and funds. The following September Alan Velut, a 16-year-old student from Nancy, France, enrolled for classes as Water- ford's first foreign exchange student. As a house guest of Mr. and Mrs. Charles White of Lamphere Road, he became World of Waterfor d

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The Exeahbur 1961 WATERFQRD HIGH SCHOOL Waterford, Connecticut t

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accustomed to American ways as well as contributing much of his countryls culture to our community. As part of the program, Elaine Starks spent this past summer in Mendoza, Argentina, with the Carlos Albino family. Having taken Spanish for three years, she did not find the language a barrier. l think the AFS program is wonderfulll' declares Elaine. It brings closer relations with people more than anything elsefl Lucille Usison, whose home is in lvisan, Philippines, spent this school year with the family of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Horan on Beach Road and attended classes as Waterford's second foreign exchange student. ln her appli- cation to the AFS she wrote, I would like to have the opportunity to study in the American school which l know would be more complete in equipment and facilities, taught by competent and learned instructorsf, Arriving here, she also found that language was not a barrier, having taken 10 years of English before coming here. Waterford hopes to have another student go abroad again this summer. Miss Caroline Kinney, now directing the AFS program at WHS, proclaims, 4'We are looking for people who can best carry out the aims of the AFS.7' Appli- cations for the summer study program have been filed by Michael Connolly, Mary Winthrop, Robert O'Sullivan, Kay Williams, and Elaine Shimkas. Karen Benker has applied for the schoolyear study program. Notification as to whether Waterford will have a student abroad is made in May or June of the year of application. Library facilities were one of the things that Lucille looked forward to in an American high school The library is now open one evening a week and on Saturday mornings High School Takes on New Dimensions