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THE GAZETTE'
Friday, December 15, 1961
THE ROXBORO ELEMENTARY GAZETTE
Published Semi-Annually
by the
STUDENTS OF ROXBORO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Roxboro, North Carolina
Loretta Pierce --
Linda Clayton ..
Edith Bass
Lillie Lawrence
Gladys Lawson ...
Blondenia Miles
Editor
Associate Editor
Humor Editor
Sports Editor
Business Manager
Circulation Manager
EIGHTH GRADE VISITS RESERVOIR
The B and S divisions of the eighth grade toured the water
purification plant recently. Our visit came after we had com
pleted our study of a unit on the purification of water.
Upon arrival at the reservoir we were divided into small
groups for the purpose of touring the plant. As we touted the
plant the Chemist explained to us the process that is used
to purify water from the time the water enters the plant a
raw product until it leaves a .finished one. The chemist also
pointed out the facilities and chemicals that are used for
this purpose.
Some of the methods of purifying (water that we have
studied in addition to the use of chemicals, the methods used
at our plant are: areation, filtration and sedimentation.
Having made this trip each student has a much better un
derstanding of how water is purified and why it is important
to drink pure water at all times.
—Loretta Pierce, Eighth Grade B
Developing Responsibility
Samuel B. Spencer, Principal
CHRISTMAS IN AMERICA
Christmas isn’t ,an Anjierican holiday in tiie sense that
Thanksgiving is ty^cally American.
But it does seem to me that we have patterned our best
hopes and aspirations after its mesage. As the holiday sea
son approaches, we become aware that Christmas is more
than a one day holiday, in a sense it is our emphasis ujpon
generosity, good will and a message of peace on earth which
is the very essence of Christmas.
Preparing to give is surely an exercise of the spirit of
Christmas. We try to put ourselves into anothers place and
with the insight of love, select worthy gifts. Preparing gifts,
planning special surprises for loved ones, giving things to
people who cannot afford to buy Christmas gifts, earning a
Christmas fund by our own efforts and then spending it ac
cording to things that you think some would like, is the
spirit of Christmas.
Christmas is a time for song and story. The climax of your
Christmas preparation may be the family Christmas Eve
Service. By the light of your Christmas tree lights you may
sing your favorite Christmas carols or someone in your
family may read or recite a favorite poem. From this simple
service we carry into Christmas Day a blessed sense of
peace.
All the members of the student body of Roxboro Elemen
tary School wish you, and your family A MERRY CHRIST
MAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR.
One of the chief concerns of
teachers is the development of
responsibilty among pupils. It
sometimes seems that all too
frequently children must be
prodded to do their work, to bring
materials to school, and to' supply
the help they have promised for
class projects. In spite of daily
reminders, boys ond girls forget
numerous appointments and prom
ises.
Among many reasons for this
laxity in children is the example
set by the adults in their lives.
Youngsters who grow up in homes
where parents do not hestitate toi
shirk church or other community
responsibilities are not likely to
take their own obligations serious
ly. When mothers and fathers arel
indifferent about taking care of
their possessions, keeping their
appointments, or looking after
the welfare of others, it is small
wonder that children are disorder
ly, thoughtless, and irresponsible.
It is extremely diffiiult for sUp-
shod adults to sell younger per
sons on the virtue of reliability.
Many children come from homes
where they are not expected to as
sume any responsibility whatever
about the house. They expect to
have everything done for them.
Their parents actuaRy encourage
dawdling, idleness, and immaturi
ty. Then there are parents who are
so busy or impatient that they
never take the time or the trouble
to train their children to accept
any speceific responsibilities. They
find it easier to do aU the work
themselves than to watch awk
ward attempts of those who are
just learning. Parents who, for any
of these reasons, continue to en
courage children to depend on
them for everything may expect
youngsters to grow into adults
who wiU shrink from accepting
responsibilities, making decisions,
or tackling new jobs for them
selves.
Some parents go to the other
extreme and put so much stress on
the importance of assuming re
sponsibility that they make the
whole idea seem tiresome to
j’oungsters. By arbitrarily assign
ing tasks; demanding that they be
done in a specific way, and ex
pecting perfect performance, they
defeat their own purpose. The in
centive to be a responsible mem
ber of home and society cannot!
be instilled just by talking to a
child and constantly reminding
him of his obUgations or by set
ting up rules and regulations and
rigidly enforcing them. Instead of
taking the initiative in doing more
tasks about the house, he will
probably spend his time trying to
avoid them.
Parents who beUeve that good
training consists of forcing chil
dren to do numerous tasks which
they dislike may succeed in get
ting them to work well under sup
ervision but at the same time
they may fail to develop in them
the more desirable capacity to
take the lead in meeting new sit
uations. Even though learning to
manage his own affairs and share
in some of the work of the home
are important phases in a child’s
development they should not be
over-emphasied to the extent that
unpleasantness is associated with
them.
Because the job training chil
dren to assume responsibility can
not be done by the home alone,
it is only natural that it should be
shared by the school. The group
activities and relationships with
friends at school provide excel
lent opportunities for practice in
sharing responsibility, in coopera
ting, and in meeting varied situ
ations. Training for responsibih-
ty is such an important part of a
child’s education that it should
not be done in a general spasmo
dic way. It should be considered
a major objective which is kept
in mind and made a part of all
activities both inside and outside
the classroom.
The kind of responsibility that
a child can be expected to carry
will depend upon his age, his
physical strength, his intelligence,
and his maturity. Some children
fail to measure up to their com
mitments because they are in
trusted with duties not in keeping
with their capacities. Children
should not have to experience'
failure and discouragement sim
ply because adults ask too much
of them. Neither should they be
denied the opportunity to assume
as much responsibility as they
are capable of handling.
The habit of responsibility can
not be coerced. It grows of its
own accord when children find
it pleasant to be able to look af
ter their own affairs and feel that
other persons are depending upon
them. Teachers and parents help
most when they set an example of
cooperativeness and helpfulness
and they create an atmosphere
that is conducive to responsible
behavior. They do a great deal to
ward making dependability a
satisfying trait when they provide
opportunities for young people to
practice resourcefulness and initi-
(See Responsibility page 7)