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Volume 1, No. 6
Rocky Mount Senior High School ^
February, 1975
’75 Outstanding Seniors Named Currin
Advocates
Three R’s
Ben F. Currin, Rocky Mount
School Superintendent, has
been gaining statewide at
tention for his strong stand for
education reform.
The reform that Dr. Currin is
speaicing up for is back to the
basics for training of students.
He advocates the teaching of
the “three R’s” — reading,
writing and arithmetic
especially in the elementary
grades.
A statewide assessment taken
last fall showed that North
Carolina’s sixth graders ranked
lower than average, not only
nationally, but in the
southeastern region as well.
OUTSTANDING SENIORS SELECTED — These 21 out
standing seniors have been selected by the members of the
Class of ’75. They are as follows; (Kneeling) — Jarvis Moore,
Phyllis Goffney, Gail Phillips, Beverly Powell, Cathy Allen,
Susan Kitts, Liz Safy, and Susan Mooring. (Standing) —
Marvin Dancy, Don Johnson, Frank Inscoe, Ken Whitehurst,
Robert Watson, Deborah Farmer, Nancy Davis, Stephanie
Branch, Bryant Aldridge. Michael Alston, Doug Henley, and
John Thorpe. (Photo by Murray)
Convention
Scheduled
Boon McGee, Gevonda
Braswell, and Wanda Joyner
will represent RMSH at the 4th
Annual Eastern District North
Carolina Association of Student
Councils (EDNCASC) Con
vention in Havelock, N. C. on
March 15 and 16. Ex officio
delegates are Jimmy
Apostoleris and Micheal Alston,
with two delegates yet to be
elected. This delegation will
also serve as the Resolutions
Committee for the Convention.
The theme for the weekend will
be “We Can Make It Happen.”
Junior Selecte
To Study Abroad
AFS CHOOSES APPLICANT —
Laura Davenport represents
RMSH in the Americans Abroad
Program.
Laura Davenport has been
chosen by the Americans
Abroad Program to participate
in the Summer Abroad
Program of study in a foreign
country.
The only applicant from
Senior High, Laura began her
application in October of last
year. Application included the
filling out of all sorts of forms,
along with photographs of
Laura engaged in many school
activities. The Selection
Committee interviewed Laura
and her family to discover how
she and her family spend an
average day.
Among a few of Laura’s
preferences of countries are
Austria and Switzerland;
although, she thinks that you
never know how life in a dif
ferent country is unless you
experience it.
Governors School
Nine Nominated
Terri Gardner, Patricia
Scarboro, Jerome Gardner,
Paul Sneed, Kenneth Bulluck,
Gary Carter, Patti Hutchison,
Helen Wiley, and Stephanie
Pickett have all been so out
standing that they have been
nominated to the Governor’s
School of North Carolina.
Gary Carter, who has
delighted all with his unique
histrionics in school plays, was
nominated to the school along
with Patti Hutchison to study
drama. Helen Wiley and
Stephanie Pickett are the
outstanding band students.
Terri Gardner, Paul Sneed,
Kenneth Bulluck, Jerome
Gardner, and Patricia Scarboro
were recognized for their
superiority in academic areas.
Nominees to the Governor’s
School are chosen from a select
number of students with high L
Q. test scores and a consistantly
respectable grade average. A
student should also demon
strate creativity and have an
unreserved amount of
motivation.
The duration of Governor’s
School is seven weeks and the
participants from North
Carolina will live and study on
the campus of Salem College in
Winston-Salem.
GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL NOMINEES CHOSEN — Jerome
Gardner, Paul Sneed, Helen Wiley, Stephanie Pickett, Gary
Carter, and Patti Hutchison were chosen for RMSH. (absent
— Terri Gardner, Kenneth Bulluck, and Patricia Scarboro).
(Photo by Allen)
Surveys such as these result
from the State Department of
Public Instruction’s limited
emphasis on basic education,
according to Dr. Currin. He
states “The Department’s
priorities need to be redirected.
We must move from fads to
fundamentals.”
“One day we find our state
leaders talking about ‘Career
Education.” The next day it is
‘Management by Objectives.’
We innovate and innovate, but I
have begun to suspect that the
public is tired of watching our
state officials experiment with
our children, particularly since
those experiments are not, in
my opinion, paying dividends.”
Dr. Currin is not against new
educational approaches and
tactics for experimental
projects. However, he is against
these innovations if they are
promoted at the expense of
basic education.
The economic situation will
obviously require a tight
budget from every state
department, stated Dr. Currin.
Therefore he feels its is
necessary to emphasize the
added leadership needed for
basic education. “Improved
pay is essential to getting
quality teachers. Emphasis
should be on giving teachers
time to teach, not on frills, fads,
and gimmicks.”
Dr. Currin’s objections to the
State Department of Public
Instruction and his policy of
back to the basics have been
drawing a network of support
across the state. His name is
circulating as a possible can
didate for state superintendent.
As of yet Dr. Currin has not
made any decisions concerning
the candidacy.
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