Central High School 1961 Student Handbook

This 1961-62 Student Handbook for the Central High School has several very different collections of information that students need to know.

The Handbook starts with an extensive discussion of school Rules and Regulations, both for normal operations and for exceptions and problems. This is followed by descriptions of the 40-some school Clubs and Activities. Near the end are school events and a summary of the Marking System. It concludes with school cheers, song, and pledge.

This pocket-sized 52-page booklet was prepared by the Student Council and National Honor Society:

It is hoped that the information it contains will help to avoid confusion and mistakes throughout the school year, This Handbook will be a convenient reference to find material concerning rules and regulations of the school. Information concerning clubs and sports activities is also included.

Original Central High, Pennington, built in 1929 [DD]

Current Hopewell Valley Central High School, built in 1958 [MPT]

This is from the current (but then new) Hopewell Valley Central High School, on Pennington-Titusville Road (out West Delaware Avenue across Route 31), which was built in 1958, replacing the original Central High School, located on South Main Street in Pennington (now the School District Administration building), which was built in 1929.

The Handbook was kindly preserved and shared by Edith Kostron Labaw.

== View the full 1961-62 Central High School Student Handbook (PDF) ==

Student Handbook: Contents

2 – Staff, Faculty, School Calendar, Bell Schedule
5 – Rules and Regulations
17 – Clubs and Activities (30)
26-27 – Building Floor Plan
38 – Annual School Activities (12)
42 – Explanation of Marking System – Citizenship, Comments, Character
45 – Athletic Schedule
47 – Cheers – Old and New (13)
Back Cover – Alma Mater and Pledge to School Banner

Rules and Regulations

The Rules and Regulations in the Handbook cover normal daily activities (e.g., arrival, lunch, study hall, to departure), unusual events (fire drills), and unfortunate situations (late arrival to expulsion):

What to Do (Arrival, Late, Absent, Nurse, Leave Early,
Phone, Lost & Found, Passing)
Air Raid Drills, Fire Drills, Cars and Bikes, Passes
Property Damage, Suspension and Expulsion
Library, Lockers, Lunch, Smoking, Phys Ed Requirements
Study Hall, Textbooks, Working Papers
Dropping Subjects, Withdrawal, Trips

Sample Rules and Regulations:

When You Are Late: Certain penalties follow repeated invalid tardiness. Since the business world demands punctuality, you should do your best to develop this good habit. Never absent yourself from school because you are late. It is better to be late than truant.

Damage to School Property: “Any pupil who shall cut, deface, or otherwise injure any school property shall be liable to suspension and punishment, and his parents shall be liable for damages to the amount of the injury to be collected by the Board of Education in any court having jurisdiction, together with the cost of the action.” (N. J. State Law)

Suspension or Expulsion: Continued and willful disobedience, open defiance of the authority of the teacher, or the habitual use of profanity and obscene language shall be good cause for suspension or expulsion of any pupil from school.” (N. J. State Law)

Smoking Permits: Smoking privileges were granted to all but freshmen under strict regulations – Students must have written permission in advance from their parents, can only smoke at lunch time, and must smoke in a specifically designated area away from the building.

Clubs and Activities

The Handbook lists 40-some extracurricular clubs, sports, intramurals, dramatics, and special study groups, which meet from one to four times a month. The clubs met at 3:05 p.m. on Tuesdays through Thursdays, facilitated by late busses that departed around 4:30 p.m.

School clubs are listed below, organized roughly here into groups to show the range of the offerings. (This list is consolidated with a separate Club Schedule document for the 1962-1963 school year.)

School – Student Council, Assembly, Senior Play, Guidance, Store, National Honor Society, Key Club, Yearbook, Stage Craft (plays and assemblies), Projectionist (A/V), Library, Study Groups
Science – Science, Math, Chess, Slide Rule (to save time in chemistry, physics and other subjects), Electronics, Psychology
Careers – Future Business Leaders of America, Future Nurses of America, Future Teachers of America
Languages – English, German, Latin
Arts / Crafts / Skills – Art, Sewing, Craft, Mechanical Drawing, Typing
Activities – Forensic (speech), Intramurals, Athletics, Cheerleading, Chorus, Rifle, Bridge, Red Cross, Aeronautics (model planes)

Cheers, Song, and Pledge

The Handbook concludes with some 13 school Cheers, old and new:

Central High has got a team
Full of pep and on the beam
We’re playing them close
And we’re playing them tight
So come on Central
Fight team Fight

The back cover has the Alma Mater, which opens with:

Where’er the praise of school is heard
In any tongue or clime
We’ll sing our love of Central High,
From now ‘tiI end of time.

And the Pledge to School Banner:

I pledge loyalty to the standard of Central High School and by personal example will strive to be a worthy member of the school community which it represents.

== View the full 1961-62 Central High School Student Handbook (PDF) ==

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