The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-06-16
GIRLS EXCEL IN
 LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL
Capture Most of Honors in Competition
 With Future Rulers of State.
LARGEST GRADUATING CLASS
Number Who Receive Cum Lande Honor Smaller Because of More Stringent Requirements-Average of 90 Neces. sary to Obtain Magnum Cum Laude -Manjoney's Splendid Showing.

The largest class ever graduate ed from a local educational institution will smile a greeting to the interested public from the stage of Smiths Co., lonial theatre on Tuesday evening, June 22. when the High School class of 1909 assemblies for the annual com mencement exercises.
 Principal Simonds is justly proud of the young men and women to whom he will present diplomas, their num- Der aggregating 1o3, and their standing being eminently satisfactory. The valedictorian of the class, Miss Bessie Louise Stone, will deliver the formal farewell addresses, in recognition Of hec excellent scholarship during the fouc years of her course.
 Second in rank, the SalutatOr1an, Philip Manjoney, will be figure of in terest because of his attainmentS through his personal energy, his res olute determination, and the weighty obstacles which he has overcome in the requirement of his education. Seven years ago, with the words "yes, mo, and mice" constituting his entire Eng fish vocabulary, Philip presented hirn- self at the Washington school on Pe- quonnock street, where the principal, Miss Mary Walker, assigned him to a class in which he might be instructed in our language and advanced in
 
 he had acquired in Italy. Within three years Miss Walker who possesses an established reputation for the excel lence of her methods, not only educa- tlonally but in the matter of training her boys to be courteous and honora- ble citizens. had the satisfaction of sending Philip into the High School. His study outside of school hours has the boy was obliged to work in a gro- cery store several hours daily.
 Last years class, which was the record breaker at the time, numbered e4; that the present class exceeds the century mark is a matter of gratihca- tion in the annals of the school
 The "cum laude,' division of the honor pupils has been materially af- fected this year by the advancing of the requisite standard from 80 to S5 per cent. The magma cum laude," how ever, remains as in former years, the acquisition of an average of ninety per cent during the course.
 MT. Matthias of the commercial de- Der of his prospective graduates with reliable business firms. Forty-four diplomas will be granted the students of this course
 As an incentive to pronounced in dustry in future classes, the members of the commercial division have de- posted at interest S100, of which $1O will be utilized as an annual prize for the commercial student demonstrating the greatest improvement in his work during his Junior and Senior years, until the amount on deposit is ex- hausted.
 The academic graduates have placed their funds in charge of a committee, who will purchase a decorative me- morial for any new public High school which may be erected during their lifetime. Failing this Opportun- ity, the fund will be placed in trust until the arrival of such a contin- gency.r
 The appended program has been an- by MT. Simonds:
 (Continued on page three.)