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DEAR FRIENDS OF THE GLEANINGS OF 1924: 
The Ainial Slaff asks me to contribute this page to the Gleanings. 
They sugg'est history as a topic but leave me free to choose as I- wish.
',tice I am a teacher, I think of advice, thei I decide to choose both! 
The history will be oily from my experience here. The time is 
short, only eight years, but that is twice the time anyone now on the 
raculty has beein here. However, in this short time our High School has 
had a splendid growth. 
The enrolhinient has nore than tripled, the teaching force is fou' 
Iiues its former iuuiber. The seventh and eighth grades have become 
it Junior High School with pupils and teachers doubled in numbers. 
The fifth and sixth grades have beeni transferred to another buildin- 
to iake room for the tigh School in the Washington building. 
The traiii ii d iartimeiit has doubled its enrollment. Eigld'ty-two 
of its graduates ar, teaching in Oconto County. Their motives and their 
activities are more or less determined by us, enough to inspire us, and 
to awe us at the ititlitence we may have. Yes, after all, there is a 
history ill these years worth telling. 
Anbjecl or the advice. 
It, makes no difference what we think we are., or plan on being 
!-uie day, we are. au(d always will be. what our habits are. They decide
oilur health, our pleasures, our thinking, our personalities, our conduct
(ouir morals, our character, and even our religion. Our lives are dictatee
I1N  otilr  habits. 
We are estiliaied and iudged hy our habits. Ve are klown to h,' 
holiest, or prompt, or Polite. or cheerful, or indiistriou, or reliable,
or 
groclhy. or deceitfiul. or idle by our habits. 
To be siiecesshiil we miust have proper habits of' work, play and 
miorality. We nnii practice industry. All the successful people iin 
le world are hard workers. 0liyV tramps and criminals and a feN 
idle rich get along without daily doing something worth while. Let us 
work ! 
But, "All work and no play makes JIack a duill boy." Health and
en- 
i  vuielit itrust P'e partners of wA irk. Since this is true. let us plan
a 
time ftr daily leisure at something worth while for enjoyment and 
happiness. 
Above all our habits. we mist ;daee those tliat build character. 
Work and play have a share in dtterniiiiin. this: ht the habit of say- 
ilig "Yes" to the riaht thin, and 'No" to the wvronig thing,
will make us 
trldy noble. Let us learn to say these two words with firmness. 
A\gaini let uus roineat. we are wvhat our babits are. If we practice one
hiting arid exuieet to do another we a"'-' siirelv following a will-o-the-
wisp that will wreck our fortnites. \Ve have our ideals. let us start 
TOdav to oractice the trifles that will vrow into life habits. and make 
our hlghest ideals oind our fondest dreams into living realities. 
Sincerely yours, 
MARY A. FITZGERALD 
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