Andrew Warde High School's Future Teachers of America Held Candlelight Ceremony to Induct New Members & List Goals 42 Years Ago This Month

Andrew Warde High School's Future Teachers of America were inducted in a candelight ceremony held in the school cafeteria 42 years ago this month. The newly-elected officers included president Pam Kulscar, vice president Eleanor Weldon, corresponding secretary Pat Maloney, recording secretary Ellen Zwecker, treasurer Caroline Guerra, historian Karen Kovacs, and program chairman Olive Hauser.

Kulscar began the ceremony in January of 1967 by giving a short talk on the history of the Warde FTA and the foundation of education. Then, Miss Ella Rice, Fairfield Mathematics consultant, led the induction ceremony. Ben Guerra, the director of student activities, lit the Future Teachers of America candle, and Warde teachers Peter Harrity, Ralph Burke, and Sigrid Bennett lit candles representing the Fairfield Education Association.

The seven goals of the Future Teachers of America are:

• to identify capable candidates for teaching and to motivate them to choose appropriate fields of preparation;
  
• to secure accurate information on the many opportunities in education and on the special characteristics a teacher should have;
  
• to acquire an understanding on the history and development of public schools, their purposes and objectives, and an appreciation of the contributions they have made to a democratic society;
  
• to secure information on teacher education and to help members plan for the future;
  
• to participate in pre-vocational activities to discover what successful teaching actually entails;
  
• to develop awareness of the privileges and responsibilities of the teaching profession;
  
• to show members that teaching is pre-eminently a profession that serves the school, the community, and the nation.

Miss Marion Clark and Mrs. Joanne Baker, faculty sponsors, led the FTA pledge. Vincent Strout, warde's assistant headmaster, attended the induction in his official capacity. The program committee served as hostesses following the ceremony at a social hour. The induction was planned by the FTA program committee, which included Kathy Wasik, Margo Godlewski, Faith Keblish, Sheila Graves, and the seven officers.

The Andrew Warde Future Teachers of America Club consisted of 60 members. It gave students interested in teaching an opportunity to gain first-hand information about the profession and to see two sides of teaching. Members acted as student teachers at neighborhood elementary and junior high schools for a three-day period, and they also acted as teacher aides at Warde throughout the school year.

The Andrew Warde chapter of the FTA sponsored several projects during the 1966-67 school year, and planned many future activities, too. It sponsored a faculty tea in November of 1966. Future projects included a student visit to Bridgeport Hospital at Easter. The FTA met every other Thursday during activity period, and the program committee planned to have guest speakers or films about education meetings.

Pam Kulscar, the president, was a Smedley House senior and was a member of the FTA since her freshman year. She served as its program chairman during her junior year. She was also a member of the Exchange Commission and was elected to membership in the National Honor Society.

Eleanor Weldon, the vice president and a Mason house junior, was also a member of the FTA since her freshman year. She served as recording secretary as a sophomore. She was a member of the Mason House council for two years. She also became a member of the Modern Music Masters during her freshman year.

Paul

Please sign the AWHS Guest Book.

Visit the Andrew Warde High School Gift Shop.

Watch the AWHS 1976 vintage "film".