Central High School - Helios Yearbook (Grand Rapids, MI)

Page 17 text:

Mr. Vruggink Completes Administrative Team The responsibility of the assistant principal lies primarily in the area of curriculum and instruction. In supervising the program of instruction, he plans audio- visual materials; encourages faculty study groups and in-service training; has individual con- ferences with teachers; orders and supervises the storage of instructional materials such as library books, maps, tests, and equipment; meets and orients sub- stitute and student teachers; and works with the principal in the making of schedules for, the assign- ment of, and the evaluation of teachers. The assistant principal also schedules all school-sponsored activities; helps develop curriculum materials on a city-wide basis and then applies them to Central; and assumes the duties of the principal when he is absent from the building. In order to keep up with the rapidly chang- ing needs in education he must attend conferences and conventions and study constantly. Mr. Vruggink feels that education is now. and will remain, in a changing, unstable state. Educators will need to be better informed, better prepared, and more flexible than at any time in our history. We must emphasize mathematical thinking and logical reasoning which will sohe the problems of the future. The same is true in the field of the sciences where changes in teaching methods are constant so that teachers can pre- pare their students for the space age. Because of the advent of jet travel, the world has become smaller so social studies are an absolute necessity to foster under- standing between the peoples of the earth. Mr. Vruggink continued, stating that this points up the fact that curriculum and instructional practices are changing fast. The time is past when a teacher can teach the same material in the same way for twenty- five or thirty years but must instead use the new methods such as team teaching, programmed instruc- tion, TV teaching, and a variety of other audio-visual devices. If we follow the trend, education will enter into an age of quality teaching in all areas of the school curriculum.

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(- . i mM ■ Mr. Romani outlines a new program for the commg school year. Principal Performs Kaleidoscopic Tasks The principal ' s job has kaleidoscopic facets. An im- portant job is the co-ordinating of teacher ' s activities and students into an efEective operating body. Mr. Romani has put forth concentrated effort into making Central the best school in the city. As the school en- larges, there seems little doubt the demands made upon the school principal will continue to increase in volume and complexity. There is no end in sight to the numer- ous possibilities of the high school principal. The 60 s will be an ever challenging battle. Nevertheless, the improvement of instruction is one of the more impor- tant, if not the most important, responsibility the prin- cipal must face. He must be constantly alert to seek out every possible method to improve the quality of teaching. Mr. Romani, when questioned on the position of a high school principal, stated that in any school as complex as Central where it is necessary to plan for six grades, the principal could easily become a time- marker. This he defined as an administrator who executes his duties assigned by the Board of Education, no more, no less. He takes charge of the existing pro- gram and operates according to policy — or — a prin- cipal can become a change-maker ; one who is more subtle, more creative. He must be a perceptive student of human nature and of the world about him ; receptive to new ideas suggested to him, spending many hours in study and thought, seeking inspiration. A new idea breathes or is suffocated because of that central figure, the principal. Creativity is encouraged and nourished and if. after consultation with his colleagues, a new idea is thought to have merit, it is given a trial Changes must take place! The degree of change in any school and the direction it takes depends upon leader- ship. A wise and strong principal will surround h self with a strong staff. Together they place high pri- ority on education exploration, searching continuously for ways to improve the program of instruction.

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Specialists Perform Personal Services peteni job in holding down the heod coun- Counselors, librarians, the school nurse, and speech teacher all render ser ' ices to Central that should be acknowledged. First, the counselors work with each student in the junior high in the planning of his pro- gram for his high school years. They also help students decide what vocation to pursue or what coDege to at- tend and courses to elect. Often, the counselors are influential in finding jobs or recommending students for after school jobs or ones related to the occupational training program. Next, the librarians run our school library efficiently and quietly. They secure reference materials, order fiction and non-fiction books and magazines, and check out books. They do the latter indirectly, however, through the students whom they instruct in library science. They also are available as reference sources to students and teachers, locate ma- terials, and instruct in the use of the many senices obtainable in the library system. The school nurse, who comes every Monday, helps students who ha e health problems and consults with those who are iU during the day. She also assists during the times when vac- cinations and booster shots are given to students in school. Finally, the speech teacher, who is specially trained for his work, comes to Central several times a week to help students who have speech problems or impediments. 14