Windber High School - Stylus Yearbook (Windber, PA)

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C le ,,. , ,A .- - i .Q i s nm - we 1 PPUGPYSS IN fi -has-E f' - 'V -wf2I - li . IQDUCATIOH ONE OF THE EARLY OCTAGON- AL HEIGHT SQUAREM SCHOOL HOUSES The high school faculty had six members. F. D. Keboch was principal of the high school during the first part of Mr. Lantz's superintendency. The grad- uating class increased rapidly, from five in 1913 to twenty-three in 1917. In 1918 additions were made to the high school curriculum. For the first time a modified commercial course was started. Bookkeeping, typewriting, shorthand, and commer- cial geography were the core subjects. Miss Clare M. Betz, a graduate of Rowe Business College Know Cambria-Rowel, was the first full time commercial teacher. Several extra teachers were added to the high school faculty in 1918. George D. Uibel, at present head of the science department at Reading High School, became principal of the high school for the term of 1917-18. The high school enrollment increased to such an extent that the side rooms of the Concrete Building were taken over by the High School. These were occupied by fifth graders up lo this time. i f Miss Irene Davenport succeeded Mr. Uibel as principal of the 5 High School in the fall of 1918. The High School how Occupied Ex? s' K f-f the whole top floor of the Concrete Building. The course of S study consisted of English, history 1'Ancient, Medieval and 1 'gg Modern, English, Americanl, science fbotany, physi- mm u , -tiiliiuii-iggggg I aiaffleeeegg--1 . 9 X

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--V 2 fsfii ' . ,,,, ... - . f a s-S .ER-rea WW HHP - 7 ' ? 3 EH!! Eli! rnoonmss IN -: I . .. A wvcsrroi-1 curriculum. This special subject, typewriting, was first given in the fall of 1907. E. A. Hower succeeded Mr. Hetrick as supervising principal of the Windber schools in the fall of 1908. The graduating class of 1909, the first of Mr. Hower's term. had eight graduates, an increase of three over that of the previous year. In 1910 there were eight graduates, in 1911, six, in 1912, eleven, in 1913, five. It will be seen from these figures that the enrollment in the high school was almost constant for the first decade of its existence. VV. W. Lantz, at present principal of the Union High School at Turtle Creek in Allegheny County, came to Windber as principal of the high school during Mr. Howeris term of office. ln 1913 Mr. Lantz was elected supervising principal of the schools of the most progressive bituminous coal town in the world. At this time many more people began to see the need for a high school edu- cation. and as the result there was a noticeable increase in the enrollment in the schools. Because of this general interest the schools of the borough became over- crowded. The old frame building was already in need of general repairs. The board, with Dr. 0. 1. Shank as president, therefore, contracted for a new high school and grade school building on the site of the original white frame building. ln 1912 the Windber School Board issued bonds to the amount of fifty thousand dol- lars to cover the cost of construction and equipment of the new Concrete Building. The new building housed the high school on the top floor and the grades on the second floor. The science laboratory of the high school was located on the ground floor of this building. A swimming pool was constructed in the basement. This, however, had to be closed to make room for two extra class rooms later. ln 1913 Windber boasted thirty seven teachers with 1,850 pupils. A year later the enrollment had increased to 2,010 and two extra teachers had to be added to the faculty. In 1916 the number of pupils had increased to 2,100 with forty two teachers. With this increased enrollment and with the population of the town increased to ten thousand inhabitants, which made Windber a third class school district, the Board of Education in 1916 passed a resolution making Windber an in- dependent school district with the right of electing its superintendent. Accordingly, W. W. Lantz, who was then supervising principal, was ' elected the first superintendent of Windber schools. Before T ' this the town schools were under the jurisdiction of the ' County Superintendent of schools tx X Q v 3 -liiekxzii : My Rx X . ,' ,x S T- fo W . Q la

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ri ,fig .ZLL V.- 6. 1' . its 'xxx -s' hit., Eli, tilt' if 'wi E. 1 ,l E531 GH pppgppgq I f E , mmf fs.. 'F-iilta k... - ' . , 'tif ,M 1 . liDUlA7 I UN AN EXAMPLE or THE NEWER TYPE or TEACHING ography, Zoology, physics, and chemistryl, mathematics talgebra, plane geometry, advanced algebra and trigonometryj, languages QLatin 1, Caesar, Cicero, Virgil and Spanish 1 and 111. The few commercial subjects mentioned before were the only special subjects offered. They did, however, have a glee club and an orchestra. There were no school publications and no club activities, other than the annual senior play and the few music programs. ln 1920 Mr. Lantz was elected Principal of Union High School, and was suc- ceeded at Windber by W. C. Crawford, supervising principal of the South Fork schools. Miss Davenport continued as principal of the High School. ln 1920 thirty-six were graduated from the school. In 1922 this had increased to fifty-four. In 1922 the high school students used the third floor, the library, two rooms in the basement, and two large cloak rooms of the Concrete Build- N ing. The high school students, seventh and eighth graders, and first grades, If because of overcrowded conditions had half-day sessions. Temporary fx . ,J school rooms were also in use. Two rooms in the basement of the ' - , Church of the Brethren and a room from the Anderson Building served this emergency in the East End district. At lVline 35 a store made into two rooms was used for school purposes. Y,- ,, as W V . Q ff fb DW- .ii ,1 E ,IC -s f Y-,wig if W