Wyomissing Area High School - Colophon Yearbook (Wyomissing, PA)

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ANGUAGES 'iThe immense value of becoming acquainted with a foreign language is that we are thereby led into a new world of tradition and thought and feelingf' The writer of these words has expressed the basic theory behind Wyomissing's language department, in which Latin, French, and Spanish are offered. Mrs. Florence Schrack, our new Latin teacher, has designed her course to increase appreciation of our heritage from the Romans, to enrich vocabularies, and to create a better understanding of English grammar. Latin is begun in the ninth grade at which level Mrs. Schrack drills in grammar. The soph- omores delve into the history and the myths of Rome, which include Ulysses, the Argonauts, and Julius Caesar. For the advanced group Mrs. Schrack re- serves the study not only of figures of speech and construction but also of Virgil and his epic poem, the Aeneid. Thus, she turns out promising pros- pects for the French and Spanish courses. Mrs. Norman Knipe, in both French and Span- ish, conducts informal and highly educational classes which are designed to teach grammar and construc- tion and to develop conversational ability. Two ramifications of the school language department are the French and Spanish clubs. Although the ro- mance languages formerly did not appear on the curriculum until eleventh grade, French is now being introduced into the grade school at the fourth grade level. Here in grade school, Mrs. Yvonne Millet continues her course through to the seventh and Twelfth Grade Spanish Mrs. Florence Schrack Mrs. M a d ly n K n i p eg M r s. Yvonne Millet eighth grades where French becomes elective. French, in the lower grades, lays a firm foundation for a more advanced study. Juniors and seniors find it different and exciting to make conversation in another language. In fact, many simple French and Spanish phrases are adopted into senior high slang. Eighth Grade French Ud, eg muy imeligente Le francais est tres facile Ninth Grade Latin What's the derivative? 19

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ENGLISH Twelfth Grade English Mild melee A solid foundation in the English language is nec- essary for success in almost any occupation one can choose. In Wfyomissingis program of expert instruct- ion, each brick of knowledge is securely laid in its place. Junior high English is under the able direction of Mrs. Helen Getz, who tackles the job of converting would-be spellers into polished writers ready for the Mrs. Helen Getz Mr. Russell Milford 18 Eighth Grade English A spelling test rigors of the senior high course. Students in grades seven, eight, and nine work for competence in gram- mar, literature, and composition.Much stress is placed upon spelling and vocabulary training is carried out in oral and written assignments which cultivate the ability of clear self-expression. Book reports come once a month, giving the student the opportunity to be- come well-versed in classical and contemporary lit- erature. This year one half of the eighth grade is taught English by Mrs. Florence Schrack, who includes the reading of Evangeline in her course. Thus, in these important years, the foundation is laid for a more advanced course in which all of these fundamentals are put to use. Dangling elements and misplaced modifiers can re- ally get one down, but in a senior high class, the studentis morale is always bolstered by Mr. Russell Milfordls Every-present humor. The use of the Read- er's Digest, grammar books, vocabulary aids, and lit- erature augment the course in tenth and eleventh grades. Here, too, oral and written composition are stressed by book reports and speeches. Friday themes always present a challenge to the Seniors, who come to ask themselves Who Am I?,' Then, of course, investigative themes take up a good deal of otherwise 'iusefulu time. These themes rep- resent the culmination of our high school English course.

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TI-IEMATICS Miss Brunner and Mr. Brubaker Miss Brunner's binomials From the time of Pythagoras to that of Einstein, mathematicians have advanced civilization. Perhaps no other civilization reached the mathematical at- tainments of the Egyptians whose secrets have largely escaped preservation. However, from their example we can see that this is a science with potentialities that are vast and unlimited. Tenth-grade Algebra Class The mathematics department at Wyomissing func- tions smoothly, progressing from junior to senior high in a succession of related steps. The seventh grade pupils take a course given by Miss Thelma V. Brunner, who teaches accuracy in fundamentals, independent reasoning, and a clearer understanding of basic principles. In her eighth grade course, she introduces to her students a knowledge of shortcuts in fundamentals and the practice of logical, quick reasoning. Eighth graders work with equations and formulas, ratio and proportion, the metric system, and signed numbers. In the ninth grade it is Miss Brunner's intention to make algebra more clearly understood by linking it to arithmetic and by regard- ing algebra as a mathematical shorthand. Instruction in senior high math is given by Mr. H. Y. Brubaker who believes that the objectives of advanced math are the acquisition of useful informa- tion and the cultivation and discipline of one's men- tal powers. A working knowledge of mathematics is invaluable in this financial and scientific era. More- over, mental discipline helps one to reason correctly. Second year algebra, taught in the tenth grade, is essentially a continuation of the concepts developed in first year algebra. From geometry, eleventh graders may derive' an appreciation for the signif- icance of logical demonstration, an acquaintance with effective methods of thinking, as well as an enjoyment of the relationships and analysis of non- geometric situations. 20 Ninth-grade Algebra