Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-23
Word Stills
Schools, Calls
Off Activities
BY HARRIET GRIFFITHS
star staff Writer

1tNA otAtA WAhech
Incredulity and shock stilled
the end-of- the-week hustle at
area schools and colleges yes
terday with word Of the Presi-
dents death.
District. Alexandria, Arling-
ton, Fairfax. Fails Church,
Montgomery County and Prince
Georges County schools will
be closed Monday. Monday
nights Montgomery County
School Board meeting has been
Cancelled.
Also cancelling classes Mon
day are George Washington
University, Montgomery jun
Tor College, the Potomac School
at Mclean. Va, Congressional
School at Falls Church, Va,
and Sidwell Friends School.
Catholic schools Of the Arch
diocese Of Washington viii be
closed. The University Of
Maryland Cancelled its classes
for Monday. but American
University will suspend only
those between the hours Of
1890 am, and 1880 pm.
Glasses for Monday have
been Cancelled by the Northern
Virginia Center of the Univer-
sity Of Virginia and the Town
and Country School, Silver
Spring.
On university campuses YES
terday, students gathered In
clusters to talk in stunned
tones. Teachers in high schools
gave up attempts to 60 on with
late afternoon lessons. Friday
night events were Cancelled.
The effect of events was seen
on even first and second. grad
ers, to whom the President and
his family were familiar figures
In the age of television.
District public school pupils
had been dismissed early yes
terday because of teachers in
stitute meetings. In most sub
urban schools. word of the
tragedy came to near the end
OF the school day to warrant
official dismissal machinery
and altering Of bus schedules,
Board Meetings Postponed
Most of the schools suspend.
ed after-school and weekend
activities, however. District
school officials postponed two
Board of Education meetings
scheduled for today.
In area schools, teachers
broke the news to their classes.
or principals made announce
ments over public address sys-
TENS. Some switched a radio
broadcast onto the communica-
lions system for the brief dura-
ton of the school day.
For sixth period, we had the
radio broadcast" said Maxine
Diamond. sophomore at Beth
esda Chevy Chase High School.
Most of the girls were crying.
and a lot of the boys were kind
OF shook. A lot of kids were
just staring into thin air. At
the end of school, all the halls
were quiet, and kids were walk
ing along crying"
Sit in Silence
Our teacher couldn't saw
anything, and we couldn't saw
anything" said Marie Young.
Fairfax High School freshman.
We just sat. Some OF the girls
started crying. l think the most
shocking thing to me was to
see one of the boys sobbing."
Debby Hanscom, Walter
johnson High School senior
said people didn't believe it;
they thought maybe it was a
hoax. There was almost COM
plete silence in the halls. No
one really knew what to do or
how to act"
Mostly all over the school.
people were completely SILENT"
said David Fishback of Mont
gomery Blair High School
Some kids were saying things
about some kind of mad man.
and just hoping that President
j o hnson would have the
strength that Kennedy did. and
a good president"
At Gallaudet, President Leo
nard ElStad sadly recalled that
President Kennedy was to have
helped observe the centennial
wear l1eYt Ar1l.il q