Consolidation Move
Elnds Small Classes
DAN THORPE PONDERS...Dan, who won a Quill and Scroll writing
contest, is trying to lay out a page creatively in the Gryphon.
Thorp Wins Press Award
Dan Thorp, a junior at Rocky
Mount Senior High School has
been declared a national winner
in the Quill and Scroll Society’s
national writing contest. Dan
entered two features in the
contest. All stories had to have
been previously published, and
each school could only enter two
stories in each of eight
categories.
There were 3,686 total entries
in eight categories nationally. A
total of 226 national winners
were selected. Dan entered the
Features Category in which
there were 633 entries and from
which 40 winners were selected.
Dan’s winning article was
entitled, “Preacher Thought
Christianity Bashful and Retir
ing,” and appeared in the
October issu** of the Grvnhoii. ■
Dan will be awarded a
National Award Gold Key by the
Quill and Scroll Society, and will
be eligible to apply for one of
the Edward J. Nell Memorial
Scholarships in Journalism. The
Scholarships have a value of
$500 at any college or university
offering a major in journalism.
Dan states, “I was very
surprised to learn that I won. I
never expected to.” In his spare
time, Dan enjoys making
stained glass ornaments to hang
in windows, playing basketball,
and fishing. He also is
interested in his weekly
neighborhood Bible Study
Class, held at his house on
Monday nights. Dan has not
decided whether he will major in
Several courses are being cut
from the master schedule at
Senior High to decrease the
number of small classes
according to Principal Elton
Newbern. Any class that has
less than 15 and has a
history of being small will not be
offered next year. A new
method of teacher allotment was
also disclosed at the March 14
faculty meeting.
The English, shop, music,
foreign language, and physical
education departments will feel
the cut in courses as Modern
Drama and Science-Fiction, will
be dropped. Machine shop,
Basic Electricity, one of the
dance bands, Latin, and special
P.E. will also be cut from the list
of courses available to students.
According to Mrs. Marquerite
Armstrong, head of the English
department, the dropping of
Modern Drama and Science-
Fiction was necessary in order
to avoid duplication of other
parts of the English program, to
make the program more
compact, and to eliminate
classes that had not drawn much
student interest.
Allotment System
The new allotment system
provides for all teachers to be
alloted to the school at one time
according to Mr. Newbern. He
stated that “Before they gave
you a certain number (of
teachers) and if you needed
more, you went back and asked.
Now we’ll ask for all we need at
one time.”
While other departments are
experiencing cutbacks in class,
the exceptional student program
will be expanded. Mr. Newbern
related that Senior High “could
have as many as four, but
probably three new teachers in
the exceptional program next
year.” The only exceptional
student instructor now teaching
at Senior High is Mrs. Sylvia
Myers. Mr. Newbern said the
expansion would help the
program continue to handle the
number of students enrolled
since there are already two
exceptional student instructors
at each junior high.
GRYPHON
The
Vol. 3, No. 7
Rocky Mount Senior High Rocly Mount, N.C. 27801
April 7, 1977
- .
CYNTHIA MCKNIGHT PARTICIPATES: Cymp is working in the
Recreation Department on selecting and recruiting.
ANGELA LLOYD PARTICIPATES: Angela Lloyd is working in the Fire Department every dav after
[Photo by Bolluck] school. She checks fire extinguishers and alarms.
[Photo by Bulluck]
Program Gives Ebcperience
Several students at Rocky
Mount Senior High School have
been selected to participate in a
special “Mayor’s Fellows”
program. This program is aimed
at giving selected students an
opportunity to gain experience
and understanding of how the
local Rocky Mount governments
work.
The program is designed to
stimulate the high school
students in city government and
to allow these students to decide
whether they would like to
choose a career in government.
The program will aid students in
getting summer jobs with city
government as a result of their
experiences in the afternoon
jobs.
These students have been
assigned specific departments
in city hall where they perform
supervised duties that will
enable them to leam more about
the functions of that department
and city government in general.
They work for six weeks, from
4:00 to 5:00 p.m. Monday
through Friday.
The students for the
“Mayor’s Fellows” program
were chosen by a special
committee consisting of one city
council member and four adult
citizens. Selections were based
on interest and ability indicated
in the application for the
program and an oral interview.
The students selected from
Rocky Mount High School are:
Cynthia Harper, Daryle Jordan,
Angela Lloyd, Natasha Matkin,
Wanda Daniels, and Cynthia
McKnight.
Angela Lloyd works in the
Fire Department each day after
school. Angela and another
person from the Fire Depart
ment go around to local
establishments and check fire
extinguishers and fire alarms.
The first week Cynthia
McKnight worked with Safety
Regulation, she visited con
struction sights and was showed
different safety regulations. The
man who worked with her was
Bill Louis. The second week
Cynthia worked with Becky
Landing who is the selecting
and recruiting officer. When
asked how she felt about the
program she replied, “1 feel
that all I’ve learned has been
very interesting and construc
tive. Over all it will help me
when 1 go to school. Even
though 1 don’t get paid it’s very
helpful and a meaningful
experience.”
Public works is where
Natasha Matkin works. She
visits the different areas of
public works in Rocky Mount
and learns their functions.