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

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Languages All right now, people. The third plural of amo is not amatl Conjugation of new verbs. Included in the curriculum at Wyomissing High School are the modern languages, French and Spanish, along with ancient Latin. Mrs. Yvonne Millet introduces spoken French on the grade school level. This course is con- tinued through the eighth grade where it then becomes an elective. Since the foundation of the Romance Languages is Latin, most ninth and tenth graders be- come well indoctrinated in this subject before progressing to French or Spanish. Mrs. Florence Schrack, the Latin teacher, stresses vocabulary and grammar as a prerequisite for translation. Un- til the latter half of the sophomore year, when the students study Caesar, the translations con- sist of mythology. This year a third year Latin class has once again been formed. Latin not only helps students when studying other lan- guages, but also helps them in English by improv' ing vocabulary through the learning of deriva- Mrs. Millet and pupils. tives. A new teacher on our faculty, Miss Pease, teaches French to juniors and seniors. In ad- dition, French is being offered this year to the tenth grade students for the first time. In this course, Miss Pease stresses the fundamentals of the language and works to improve the students' skill in reading, writing, and speaking. The first year Spanish students, taught by Mrs. Knipe, begin to master the language of our neighbors south of the border . The second year Spanish students translate old Spanish fables, learn some ancient Spanish history and become familiar with new grammar and verbal constructions. 25

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Svcial Studies ln the New York Times today . . . World history - Mr. G's version. Here's Wyomissingi' The Social Studies course is a benefit to each student since it provides a background of in- formation which is of great value in helping him to understand better the problems of contem- porary life. h In the seventh grade, students are instructed in world history and geography. Under the guidance of Mr. Reitz and Mr. Goodling, the students acquire a basic knowledge of the 'Eastern Hemisphere. Eighth graders are educated in American history, which is supplemented by a geography course, both also under the direction of Mr. Reitz and Mr. Goodling. In the ninth grade, instructed by Mr. Gebensleben, pupils receive a course in civics and Pennsylvania history, in which they learn about the government and operation of their own state. Tenth graders are confronted again with the study of World history, also taught by Mr. Gebensleben. American history is re- peated in eleventh grade, only in a more de- tailed fashion, concentrating on the Civil War, the World Wars, and the Constitution. Seniors are taught a course dealing with problems of our American democracy, taught by Mr. Shafer. As part of this course, students journey to the Court House. Besides the compulsory history courses, there is, offered as an elective major, the psychology and sociology course under the supervision of Mrs. Knipe. This class, conducted in seminar fashion, gives the student a better understanding of himself, his behavior, and his actions. It also gives him the opportunity to leam the funda- mental laws of social relations. Notebooks are due Friday. 24

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Sciences Science, an essential part of our educational background, brings the student into immediate touch with Magnetism demvrwtrafion- the universe. Because fields of science form so large a part of our human knowledge and because they are basic for many other fields of knowledge, Wyomissing welcomes it in its high school curriculum. The Science Department, under the direction of Mr. Sheetz, Mr. th -n ., Weik, and Mr. Manderbach, begins C gl 5. . . . . . with a generalized study in Junior high and becomes specialized for senior high. Seventh graders, with Mr. Manderbach, study such topics as air, fire, fuel, water, and simple machines. Through the outdoor ed- ucation program the students col- lected insects and made winter gardens. Weather, the human body, communication, and the solar system represent some of the phases studied in eighth grade, while matter, energy and work, heat, light, food, environ- ment, and plant and animal life, also taught by Mr. Manderbach, are studied by ninth graders. Mr. Sheetz, teaching biology to the tenth grade, acquaints the students with the organs and various systems of plants and animals. Dissections give the students a better understanding of their studies. Physics students, studying under Mr. Weik, make an intensive study of heat, light, sound, electricity, mechanics, and atoms, and then prove related theories by grt 41p experimentation. Chemistry, one of the seniors' science courses, also taught by Mr. Sheetz, involves atoms and their relations, solving chemical equations, and experimentation. Mr. Weik teaches Senior Science, which is an advanced general science course covering parts of chemistry and physics, to seniors not taking chemistry. These students also do experi- ments, although they have no specific lab periods. Junior high science courses are compulsory while those of senior high are elective. . . . and these are The mechanical advantage of pulleys. lt'll work! Please? 26