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A el a --§ Despite some intense effort, this team lost out in the Cart- wright High School winter carnival tug-o-war contest. gaa oo or ROYAL BANK PORT PERRY -- ONTARIO : SATURDAY OPENINGS February 20th, 1988 February 27th, 1988 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM EL ONLY Your future begins here. ROYAL BANK 985-7316 Allen's Siding Products Itd. REACH INDUSTRIAL PARK We Supply OR Supply and Install ALUMINUM or VINYL SIDING, SOFFIT, FASCIA, & 5" SEAMLESS EAVESTROUGH We also carry a complete line of ALUMINUM or VINYL REPLACEMENT WINDOWS, TILT, CASEMENTS, SIDE SLIDERS. -- FOR FREE ESTIMATES CALL -- Mike 985-3747 no» 1-705-328-1402 The Little School with the Big Heart has had another hectic, yet typical, week. A fresh dumping of snow made Tuesday's Winter Carnival a rousing success, with just about every student in the school taking part in toboggan races, egg tosses, tug-o-war's, and a cold, wet and wonderful soccer game. On Wednesday night, Principal Ed Musselman dished out a con- vincing public relations speech to a couple of dozen Grade Eight parents contemplating sending their children to Cartwright High School in September. And then there were carnation sales, chocolate sales, and the more mundane but practical set- tling down for another term of good old-fashioned school work. A busy week, yes, but it seems all weeks at Cartwright High School are busy. The Little School with the Big Heart slows down on- ly in the summertime. Since its doors were opened in 1925, Cartwright High School has been a popular institution in Blackstock: With six classrooms and relatively new portables, Cart- wright High School has never been a big school. It's familiar red-brick, two-storey building on Scugog Street has maintained a fairly constant enrolment of 100 or so, and at most, can accom- modate 125. But size has never slowed CHS down. . If anything, the intimate sur- roundings are responsible for a history of high scholastic achievements, devoted school spirit, and life-long affection from , its graduates. Nowhere is this affection more Size never slows the little school with the big heart evident than at graduation ceremonies. Year after year, commencement exercises are fill- ed with people who attended Cart- wright High School years ago. Sometimes they don't even know the present crop of graduates, but still they return to their old alma mater, to renew friendships, and to keep in touch with the school that meant so much to them. Although this might seem strange at other, bigger schools, at Cartwright, it's a matter of course. Cartwright High is a rarity in these days of large secondary schools, where sometimes close to 3,000 students are registered. It's a throwback to the days of the one-room schoolhouse, when everyone knew everyone else, and nobody could cut classes or school activities without being noticed. There's not too much that escapes Mr. Musselman, whether it's a student who has done very well on an essay, or someone who's caught smoking in the washroom. "I ean relate to the kids here personally," he says, adding with a. chuckle, '""They can't hide because I'd find them"' How many principals can say they know each student by name? Before he took over as principal at Cartwright a few years ago, Mr. Musselman was in charge of about 1,400 students at Eastdale Collegiate in Oshawa. He arrived at Cartwright "in battle fatigues,"" mentally prepared to crack the whip and lay down the law as he had at the larger school. He was almost shocked to discover that kind of attitude wasn't necessary at Cartwright. He found an entirely different at- mosphere, with students who didn't require a military-style principal. "You don't have to be yelling all the time around here,' Mr. Musselman admits. "They'll res- pond, just by talking." The success of the Cartwright program is evident in the mark of its graduates. Every year, bet- ween 40 and 60 per cent are On- tario Scholars. Almost all go on to either university or college. Most do well. The relationship between teachers and students must have a great deal to do with this suc- cess. In a class of, at most, 15 to 20 students, the teachers have more time to spend with each in- dividual, ironing out problems and making new information abundently clear. As a result, students graduate from Cartwright with a sound academic education. Not to men- tion an enthusiasm towards the whole educational process. At Cartwright, everyone gets involved with all activities at the school, which is divided into a house league system for sports and social events. Whether it's the drama club, the winter carnival, fundraising events, or sports, the entire school pitches in. "The majority of them do everything around here," Mr. Musselman maintains. So naturally, there are few wallflowers at Cartwright. There also aren't so many cliques -- the '"'cheerleaders" hand around with the '"'nerds," who play basketball with the "athletes," who don't make fun of the "tough"guys, the "ugly" girls, or (Turn to page 17) Laughing, two Cartwright High School girls pull a squinting and snow-covered school-mate through some white stuff during the Winter Car- nival toboggan race.