Waltham High School - Mirror Yearbook (Waltham, MA)

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THE MIRROR 93 SALUTATO RY BERTRAM EUGENE WARREN Ladies and Gentlemen: It is my pleasure tonight to offer you all a most cordial welcome in behalf of my class and the Waltham High School. I wish to as- sure you that we appreciate your coming here to help us to make this last event a success. For us, these exercises represent the top of the ladder, which for four years we have been slowly but patiently climbing. We have been obliged to spend these four years in very stir- ring and somewhat troublesome times. War was declared by the European powers about a year before we entered the High School, it was during our Sophomore year that we cheered Uncle Sam's entry, and now, peace is finally concluded just as we graduate. Now that the war is over, many changes are sure to be introduced into our educational systems. It has been said, and in some cases with some degree of truth, that the high school of today is not adapted to the needs of the many, but prepares only for college. For some time educators have also expressed dissatisfac- tion with the studies, and the methods of teaching them, in the last two years of the grammar school. Qur present system of schools seems to afford criticism on three points: l. The abruptness of the change between the grammar and the high schools. 2. The large amount of retarding, elimin- ation, and levelling in our grammar schools. 3. The late provision for recognition of individual differences. The studies and the methods of teaching them, in the high schools are so different from those of the grammar schools that it is some time before the bewildered freshman com- mences to see any light. From one teacher, who taught him in every subject, and who knew him in every mood, he is suddenly con- fronted by several teachers, not one of whom knows him. Then again, grammar school teachers are graduates of normal schools, where as much emphasis is put on methods of teaching as into the subject matter itself, While on the other hand, high school teachers are college graduates who have been taught the subject matter, but not so much the meth- ods of teaching. This is bound to create a dif- ference in the methods of teaching in the grammar and the high schools. As to retarding and elimination, if a pupil is dull in a certain subject and fails in it for a year, even though he is in good standing in the rest of his studies, he must repeat them all in order to make up the one subject in which he failed. This causes a needless and wasteful amount of repetition, which becomes discour- aging and monotonous to the pupil. As to the last fault, no recognition of in- dividual differences is made until the pupil has reached the high school. Here, for the hrst time, he is allowed to choose the studies which he wishes to take. T To meet these needs, the junior High School was introducd several years ago in one of our western states. The number of these junior high schools has gained so rapidly in the last three years, that there are now over one hundred here in New England, alone. This new unit is defined as a new grouping of grades seven and eight of the grammar school, with the first year of high school, in which there shall be freedom in choice of studies by pupils, a considerable change in the tradi- tional content of the subjects and methods of instruction, departmental teaching, promo- tion by subject, and prevocational work. Under the junior high school plan, the ap- titudes and abilities of the pupil are more easily discovered and provided for, owing to the choice in studies which is allowed. The uncertainty of the pupil as to what he really wishes to do, is met by the use of prevocation- al work. Because of this, manual training, printing, household arts, and business courses have been included in the junior high school program. The pupil is not expected to gain any especial skill in this work, but merely to find out for himself the kind of work for which he has the greatest aptitude. Mistakes in choices are less costly in this early period of the pupil's life, than if made later, as in high school or college. Another advantage of the junior high school is found in its departmental instruction. lt has