JOHN ATCHLEYlems. The psychiatrist should then get to know the faculty, among other reasons, in order to educate them as to the limitations of our oversold field. I believe that the psychiatrist should work closely with the headmaster and school physician if possible, and that, within the limits of confidentiality, these two, and the parents, should be kept informed. I feel that, when possible, boys should be seen away from the school grounds and that interviews should be financed by parents, not by the schools, except in unusual situations.With all this in mind I do feel that there is a place for psychiatry in the prep school, and I do not feel totally discouraged, for this is a new field, growing rapidly, and it should gain in effectivity as the result of considerate thought and the sharing of information.
The following note written several years ago by a Horace Mann student towards the end of his senior year was handed to his history teacher after he had failed an important test :There is much I should say but what can I say! You are wondering why I have not read the book. I have no real defense. As I see tests, they are an exercise in the passage of time. And as this da will end, so will my school career and my life. Here it is already March,and I am about to enter manEood. There is so much I do not know and so much I have not done In my life. When I wake up each morning, I feel like a man near the end. Time is so short. Please forgive me if I am not yet ready for history and if I put other things before the book you asked me to read.History has so little to do with reality, as does school in general. I have been thinking of dropping out of HM and I would also like to drop out of the stream of the college bustle. NYU or CCNY might still have me. I would like to stay in the City.What a gem this world of ours is. Only those who know it can enjoy it. I am afraid I am no longer oriented to classroom life. I feel my spirit is too free.Please do not be upset-no one has failed; we have triumphed. If you do not understand, I shall be saddened and my spirits will be heavy.The boy who wrote this note, an able and amiable fellow, had done well with us through the first half of his senior year and had already been admitted to collegean institution which by the way was his first choice. His loss of interest in school, therefore, was probably not related to his academic performances nor to his adjustment in the H M community. Both of these had been satisfactory as far as we were able to observe.As the boy's prdblems unfolded in response to the talks we had with him, they seemed to stem in part from growing pains-in other words, in part from his revolt against the order of society. His parents had turned him loose on the city too soon and he had begun to feel his oats. Over-reacting to culture-galleries, music, and the theatre-was in part to blame. Girls had a part in it, too, but not promiscuous living or drinking. Lacking .direction from home, he had drifted into irresponsible ways and his school work began to suffer.After several talks with his adviser and with one or two of his teachers, he developed insight and mended his ways so that he was able to graduate with his class. He is now in college and doing a satisfactory job.Although Hill's psychiatrist knew about this case from the outset and discussed the boy's reactions regularly with his teachers, he never saw the boy himself. It is fair to say that this young man, though close to acadeniic failure when his problems were first brought to our attention, was an emotionally healthy individual and for that reason without professional help was able to respond to the firm guidance of his teachers.A second case involving a boy who is presently an underclassman a t H M presents a different picture. This boy, equally able but younger than the first, was called to our attention la...
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