Indiana High School - L Indien Yearbook (Indiana, PA)

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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL few How a Modern High School Works girls who expect to follow this vocation study crop production, soils, animal hus- bandry, marketing, gardening, horticul- tllI'0. and kindred subjects, Mathematics, the purest science, is not ordinarily taught in its advanced forms in the high school. except possibly, to future engineers, scientists, and teclmi- cians. The theory that mathematics training disciplines the minds, and transfers the skills acquired to other branches of learning is now widely ques- tioned. Today, it is largely a. tool sub- ject, Students who do not expect to use much mathematics in their future work are not encouraged to take more than the elementary branches of this subject. BUSINESS EDUCATION Business education in the modern pro- gressive school means the preparation of youth for socially useful and personally satisfactory livi11g, and, more particular- ly. for entrance into commercial employ- ment with reasonable prospects of suc- ceeding in their work by reason of social intelligence, occupational skills, occupa- tional intelligence. business understand- ing, proper work attitudes. ethical stand- ards, and general supporting education. Exploratory courses are offered to ac- quaint the student with his aptitudes and a number of business vocations where his talents can be most advantag- eously used. Emphasis is no longer upon stenograpihy and bookkeeping to the ex- clusion of other business activities. It is known today that QW of business workers are bookkeepers, and not more than 1061 are stenograpliers. General oftiee work and selling. for in- stance, require many business workers. It is the purpose of the commercial cur- riculum to bring the interested and questioning student and the world of business together. HOMEMAKING The affairs of the household from birth to death are at the core of national wel- fare. Only in recent years has it begun to receive the attention it deserves, In- terested students may receive, in Indiana High School. opportunity to learn about the field of Home Economics. This sub- ject has five major divisions: Family Re- lationships, Family Economics. Child Top: A Library Scene, Industrial Drawing Center: Two Library views Bottom: Boy's Gym, Boy's Shop Faye 9 Care and Training. Food and Nutrition, and Textiles and Clothing. rw l'he goal of this subject is the im- provement of homes and home life. It involves the materials of the home and their management as a basis for the ul- timate purpose of enriching living. That the social and intellectual interests of the family shall be fostered is a major ob- jeetive. INDUSTRIAL ARTS Tests of students. involving much more than simple questions and answers. have taught that there are many types of intelligence, The boy with poor abil- ity to add a column of figures may per- form wonders of carpentry. Another may find it difficult to write a simple grammatical sentence. and still be cap- able of remarkable craftsmanship. Until recent years the schools catered only to one type of intelligence: the type that can read, write, and speak. But the ability of many students lies in their fingers and muscles. Schools formerly labeled such students slow,' and turned them out to shift for them- selves. The modern school, however, recognizes its responsibility to all stu- dents as they prepare to take their places as work'ers and citizens in the commun- ity, Tlms, in addition to general educa- tion, such students a1'e encouraged to ex- plore the trades and to develop manual skills which will make them valuable workers in industry. HEALTH Nloney and work invested i11 the health and physical education of high school students are regarded as the best of possible investments-an investment in the health of young people who are the bulwark of tl1e future. Youthis main job today is to go to school to train for adult responsibilities in a 11ew and chang- ing world. To do his best job in the world, youth will need a body that has life and vital- ity in it. brinnning life, eager to do things and make conquests. This is the job of physical education. which, in In- diana High School, does this work:

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pn, L INIHISHQCHOOL sw How a Modern High School Works 0000-00090000000-09009000000 economic arrangements, and possibly to furnish insights on possible choices of vocations. Finally, the social studies may be expected to contribute much more than in the past to pleasurable lei- sure time activities: in reading, in obser- vations in the community, and in the satisfaction of curiosities about phases of human drama. Such purposes place a large responsi- bility on the social studies and those who offer instruction. The content of these subjects is expanding rapidly and con- tinuously. And youth's perplexities, problems, interests, and euriosities must determine in a large measure the mate- rials to be selected for study. Again, youth may be expected, more than in the past, to raise basic questions about a system of economic arrange- ments when many of their parents are out of work. They may raise further questions wl1en they cannot find jobs upon completion of their school careers. They have a right to expect a11 unbiased discussion of th-ese problems. Society, on the other hand, has the Q-- QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ -Q right to expect that its cultural heritage -its customs and patterns and arrange- ments-shall be made intelligible and in- viting to youth, to the end that present and later adjustments shall be made with a minimum of friction and personal crises. Somewhere between these points of reference, instruction in the social studies must be focused and must operate. Compromise in both materials and their presentation are ever present, because. on the one hand, youth must be served. and, 011 the other, the modern high school cannot shirk its responsibilities as one of societyls most important agencies for social control and social uplift. FOREIGN LANGUAGE Apparently, the schools have yet to determine the relative importance of la11- guages and the proportion of time they deserve. Latin and French, for instance, occupy more school time than Biology, Art, or Home-3Iaking. From the past to the present, the healthiest change in the study of lan- guages is the shift of emphasis from me- chanics to meaning. Originally Latin was studied to learn the thoughts and phrases of the classics. Now nearly 'every teacher of languages places the ability to read a language above every- thing else, and only those details of lan- guage are taught which are necessary to avoid confusion. Liberal rather than literal transations are favored, The em- phasis is upon grasping the foreign meaning rather than upon translating in a mere mechanical form. The change of method in language study reflects the growing concern of the high school with useful, practical results. In the language department. this philos- ophy expresses itself i11 the development among students of tools for the growing political and commercial traffic with for- eign countriesg of an international out- look and philosophy, and of an increased appreciation and understanding of the culture which America has inherited from all races and all lands. SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS Science in the high school has to do with Geography, General Science, Biol- ogy, Chemistry, Physics, and Agriculture. Such subjects have to do with the whole world of nature. In our present highly mechanized society, when our welfare de- pends upon such complex science as medicine, sanitation, transportation, in- dustrial chemistry, agriculture, and man- ufacturing, it is essential that every pros- pective citizen be at home in the pres- ence of such phenomena, Geography and General Science famil- iarize the student with the earth and its people, and manls use of natural laws. In Biology, besides a knowledge of life processes, students learn many practical lessons about their gardens and pets at home. Plants, animals, and people are the three major divisions of this subject. Physics teaches the principles of me- chanics, sound, light, and electricity, Chemistry involves the study of the ele- ments and includes knowledge of fuels, foods, clothing, cleaners, poisons and antidotes, clay products, paints, and fertilizer. Agriculture, as taught in In- diana High School, teaehes the practical business of farming. ltfany boys and Top : Classroom guidance Center to right: A Science demonstra- tion, Editing the Newspaper, A class in Sewing, A class in Ameri- can History Lower Left: An Office Scene Page 8

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INIQEXSQCHQQL W How a Modern High School Works .ooooo---Q,QQ0Q0,QQ000900040000-00-00oo0000900000QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ00000000900-coco--. QD Gives each student that training in health habits which will condition and tune-up their bodies for the exciting job of living the full life. Q21 Takes in boys and girls to give them health service according to their individual needs. Q35 Develops skills in every boy and girl so that each learns to play some games that can be played through life. Qlj Develops good manners, such as cooperation and sportsmanship. Each boy and girl is given a physical examination and follow-up each year by the school physician and nurse. MUSIC AND ART What might be known as the aesthetic studies pervade the entire high school program, integrated in all courses. But training in music and art for their own sakes also is offered to students inthe high school, athough the percentage of time allotted to them is none too great. Several hours weekly could well be used to provide students with a basis for ar- tistic leisure pursuits when the short work week arrives, In hlusic, instrumental instruction, and both instrumental and vocal ensem- ble work is offered to the student. In Art, any interested boy or girl may elect to take training in creative work and ap- preciation. Such projects as musical drama and stage decoration are used to give play to student interests in these courses. The progressive high school is coming to realize that aesthetics are as necessary to the studentis background as History. The school of the future will probably readjust all courses on the basis of their actual worth as preparation for full and practical living. At that time aesthetic studies will assume a much more impor- tant place in the curriculum. Ullfuch of the material explaining the modern ellucatiortal program has been derived from Scholastic lllagazirze, cele- brating the 300th armiversary of the fofarzcliag of the first secondary school in 10-351. WHAT OTHERS HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT EDUCATION It is interesting to note with what mixed emotions education has been re- garded through the course of history. The following quotations, in general, tes- tify to the high regard in which leaders of thought have always held the school. Let the soldier be abroad if he will, he can do nothing in this age. There is another personage-a personage less im- posing in the eyes of some, perhaps in- significant. The school master is abroad, and I trust to him, armed with his prim- er, against the soldier, in full military array, -Lord Brougham, 1828 VVhat greater or better gift can we offer the republic than to teach and in- struct our youth. -Cicero Slavery is but half abolished, emanci- p-ation is but half completed, while mil- lions of freeman with votes in their hands are left without education. -Robert C. Wvirtthrop, 1881 These Qliteraryj studies are the food of youth, and the consolation of age, they adorn prosperity, and are the com- fort and refuge of adversity, they are pleasant at home. and are no incum- brance abroad, they accompany us at night, in our travels and in our 1'ural retreats. -Cicero I am not a teacher: only a fellow trav- eler of whom you asked the way. I pointed ahead-ahead of myself as well as you. -Bernard Shari' Delightful task! to rear the tender Thought, ' To teach the young Idea how to shoot, To pour the fresh instruction oier the hIind, To breathe the enlivening spirit, and to fix The generous purpose in the glowing breast, -T homsmz, The Seasons The1'e is no teaching u11til the pupil is brought into the same state or principle in which you are, a transfusion takes place, he is you and you are he, there is a teaching, and by no unfriendly chance or bad company can he ever quite lose the benefit. -Emerson, Spiritual Largs Top: The Stage Crew, the Library Center: Industrial Arts Bottom: A Cooking Class, a Geogra- phy Class Page 10