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PAGE TWO
THE MARY POTTER GAZETTE
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1957
Follow These Rules... And Live!
Every parent and every responsible adult has become
gj0^0j^jig 3,^vare of the alarming mcrease in the number and
kinds of crime committeed against children and teen-agers.
Here are ten rules to help our readers protect their children
against the terrible tragedy today: j
1. Never hitchhike; never accept rides from persons
whom you do not know.
2. Never take money, candy, or gifts of any kind from
any stranger.
3. Never go with strangers who ask you for directions to
some place.
4. Never go inside another person’s home without first
telling your parents.
• 5. Never agree to work for strangers without approval
of your parents.
Never play alone in alleys, in woods, on the beach, or
in deserted buildings.
7. Never wait around public toilets, in schools, theaters,
or buildings. Always leave immediately.
8. Never let strangers touch you. Tell your parents
immediately.
9. Use the “buddy” system, take along a pal or play
mate when you go to the playground, the beach; the
movies or on a hike.
10. Don’t tarry on the way when you start out of school,
home, or some other place, move along swiftly. If
you have to be late telephone ahead.
Are You An Asset Or A Liability?
I note from day to day many of the same people are al
ways in the right place at the right tune, equipped for work.
They are in class on time, have assignments neat and in ink,
never boisterious and always doing their part to uphold our
standards.
Then there are those who we see cutting classes, smok
ing, being insubordinate to teachers, late for classes, forever
wanting excuses to do this and that and many other things
too numerous to name that are deviations from being good
representative, bodies. What is the total sum of our assets?
What is the total sum of our libilities? We know that when
our liabilities exceed our assets we suffer a loss. Do we want
to suffer a loss? What are YOU doing while here? What are
YOU? An ASSET or a LIABILITY?
The New Old Mary Potter
When the students of Mary Potter returned to school in
September, they were very surprised to see a new building,
they were also very surprised to see a change in the old
school. Someone said it was a “new” “old” Mary Potter.
This is what they meant.
As one first approaches the campus he will notice many
physical changes on Mary Potter campus. The building on the
corner, is now occupied by the Agricultural and Industrial
Arts classes. As he moves further he sees a few changes in the
Home Economic Department. The Commercial department is
now moved to a spacious, well-equipped, room in the base
ment of the administration building which also has a supply
room large enough to be used as an additional work room. As
he enters the administration building his eyes are focused on
the following: new doors; each room and hall painted in a
bright green and pink instead of the dull colors; brown and
white stairways; and an auditorium changed in several ^-
pects including painting. As his eyes wander out the win
dows he sees tjie gym painted in two-tone green having also a
renovated floor in the gym.
You think back over the things you’ve seen and you’ll
say softly to yourself, Not a “new” school, but a “new,” “old”
“school.”
By remodeling the old school, the teachers and students
of Mary Potter feel very proud of the changes that have
taken place which should give all an incentive to keep it that
way. . i
MABEL HICKS
Are You Really Studying?
OR GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS
Philosophy Of
School iUms At
Life Adjustment
The Philosophy of Education
at Mary Potter High School
embodies an effort in guiding
students to set up an eviron-
ment in which they will ac
quire such information con
cerning the world of nature
and men that they may ade
quately adjust themselves in
society. It further embodies an
effort in guiding students to
ward setting forth those fac
tors and traits which will de-,
velop desirably family rela
tionships and which enable
our students to make a worthy
contribution to their local com
munity and to the progress of
civilization.
It is our aim to encourage
good citizenship, initiative, the
proper use of leisure time, and
the value derived from Chris
tian living.
Unless fundamental social
ideals are taught and young
people encouraged — or re
quired, if necessary — to ad
here to them, group achieve
ment as well as individual ac-
compli.'?hment will suffer.
We recognize the fact that,
with increasing maturity there
are changes occuring in the
student’s attitudes in regard to
boy and girl relationships.
They must be taught to accept
responsibility for their own
actions and they must also
learn to accept rei ponsibility
for the welfare and action of
others.
With these ideas in mind, and
after a series of deliberations,
the committee appointed by
the Mary Potter High School
Parent-Teacher Association to
make a study of the problems
of imtimely sexual relations
among students submitted for
the establishment for policies
many recommendations.
THE MARY POTTER GAZETTE
Published semi-annually by the students of Mary Potter
High School.
Joy Jeffers Editor
Mable Hicks _
Ethel Jeffers _
James Morgan
Ruth Warren
Associate Editor
Feature. Editor
Sports Editor
Irma Hairston, Polly Roberts
Maggie Thhomas, Mary McCormick
Robert Davis
Business Manager
Circulation Managers
Copy Editors
Poetry Editor
•) ■
Barbara McCoy, Julia Williams Club News Editors
Joan Tyler, James Morgan Class News Editors
Staff Assistants
■ Annie Paschall, Elnora Belle, Decosta Lindsey,
and Alice Duncan.
Staff Typists
Lucy Cheatham, Yvonne Hester, Marie Harns, Manan Tyler,
Frances Royster, Cornelia Webb, Annie Hobgood.
Faculty Assistants
Miss L. Mae Jones, Mrs. L. F. Thomas, Mrs. B. B. Redding,
Miss H. E. Thomas, Mrs. R. E. Howell, Mr. R. A. Lewis,
and Mrs. M. J. Holley.
Duke Professor
Conducts ’Shop
Dr. Olan Petty, professsor,
Department of Education, Duke
University, conducted the first in
a series of workshop sessions for
professional growth for elemen
tary and high school teachers.
Dr. Petty’s area of discussion
was arithmetic. To set the stage
for group discussions he taught
a six grade class at Mary Potter
School and a second grade class
at Orange Street School. In each
case a workshop session follow
ed, at which time new techniques
of teaching arithmetic were pre
sented showing the use of teach
ing aids and materials.
Mrs. Ruth Lawrence Wood
son, State Supervisor of Elemen
tary Schools and Dr. S. E. Dim-
can, State Supervisor of High
Schools, put across their topic of
Human Relationships most in
terestingly by directing role
playing activities of problems
pertaining to the school and the
home, followed by discussion and
evaluation of each role depicted.
“Music is correlated and in
terrelated with the entire school
curriculum.” That is exactly
what was shown when Miss Ruth
Jewel, State area Music Super
visor, State Department of Pub
lic Instruction, gave classroom
(See Duke Professor, page 6)
Are you really studying mean
ingfully or are you day dream
ing; holding a pencil in your
hands, staring into opened
books, reading without mean
ing or understanding, or just
“going through the motion,”
that you might say to yourself,
“yes,”^ I’m studying.
Many of us have numerous
ways of studying. Some of us
can see that apparently we
have studied when we view
our gradings at the end of each
reporting period. Then there
are the other mass who con
stantly say, “oh yes, we have
studied”; and after viewing
their grades at the end of each
reporting period, they get that
disgusted look which makes
them relimctant to let others
view their grades.
Just holding pencils in hands,
glancing into opened books,
reading meaningless, and day
dreaming will always retard
learning.
Why not develop good study
habits;
1. Arrange a specific time
schedule (and by all
means use your supervised
study periods).
2. Read, reread, outline, cor
relate, evaluate; try to un
derstand what has been
read.
3. Write something on paper
just ‘solo reading’ is not
enough, writing encourages
learning.
4. Arrange subject areas in
different sections of your .
notebook or keep a separ
ate notebook for each sub
ject (without the sugges
tion of your teacher).
5. Be resourceful—let the li
brary aid you in study
ing—use references, read
current materials — keep
up to date.
6. Avoid detractions such as
the television, radio, and
conversation. These help
very little dinring concen
tration.
7. Don’t give up too easy,
stick with the area for a
while and try to obtain un
derstanding, as when there
is understanding there is
learning. -
These are only a few tips to
aid you in developing good
study habits. Just how do YOU
study? Evaluate YOUR study
procedure.
Most Students Generally Agree That
New Grading System Is Basically Fair
is our grading system fair?
Beginning this year, we have
new and very different report
cards. Accompanying these re
port cards is a new system of
grading. This new system of
grading is backing the big
question that all the high
school students are asking, “Is
Our Grading System Fair?”
These are some factors that
determine the grading of our
students by the new system:
A grade of “A” means the
pupil:
Works independently and
consistently on assigned work,
and seeks to do more.
Participates voluntarily and
intelligently.
Constantly raises concisely
worded, intelligent questions
concerning the issue under dis
cussion.
A grade of “B” means the
pupil:
Has work done on time with
no special urging.
Respond readily when called
on.
Usually relates knowledge to
new situations and problems.
A grade of “C” means the
pupils: (minimum require
ment for college entrance.)
Does required assignment of
acceptable quality.
Masters essentials fairly well.
Is attentive in class.
Responds to correction and
personal suggestions.
A grade of “D” means the
pupil: .
Is careless in preparation.
Needs constant help and im
provement.
Is often inattentive.
Seldom has assignments
ready.
A grade of “F” means the
pupil:
Fails to accomplish the re
quired minimum essentials
necessary for success in the
course.
Asiignment generaly incom
plete and tardy.
Either cannot or will not hold
his attention to this work.
Prepares work poor in form
and appearances.
Is our grading system fair?
Yes, or no. Less than twenty-
five percent of the high
school students say “no.”' More
than seventy-five percent say
“yes.”
First, we should carefully ob
serve the opinion of the opi>os-
ing percentage who answered
“no.” They feel that our sys
tem of grading discourages the
students who are slow in
learning more so than those
who have the ability to learn
fast. They also point out the
fact that the students who have
been able to maintain a grade
of A, B, or C by our former
system of grading are now
hardly able to maintain a
grade of D or F.
We should next view the oth
er percentages of opinion.
They feel that our grading sys
tem is very much fair. In a way
it offers many advantages
and encourages the students to
strive for their best. An advan
tage of this new grading sys
tem may be one that will not
■ be recognized as being of
value until one prepares for a
college entrance examination.
As it is now, colleges are de
manding more of the high
school graduate year after
year. By striving to maintain
the highest grades that our
grading system offers, one can
be assured that there would be
little need to worry about pass
ing a college entrance exam
ination.
The very same thing on an
examination of this type would
be mostly the things one
should have learned in early
school. Therefore, we can see
how the strict grading system
(See Grading System, page 6)