Wyomissing Area High School - Colophon Yearbook (Wyomissing, PA)

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INDUSTRIAL ART ' Industrial Arts is Composed of many facets some enth to ninth grades, and it becomes elective in sen- of which are drafting, woodworking, photography and iOl' high, Where 21 boy may CICCY 25 many 2-S twelve metal crafts. We shall be concerned primarily with pCri0dS 21 Week. The work of this is supervised by the first three. Industrial Arts is compulsory from sev- MF. D. C- Shirk. Drafting The purpose of Industrial Arts is to acquaint the student with the materials and processes of industry. Its aim is not to create car- penters, metal workers, or draftsmen but simply to give the student an introduction to the work performed by industry today. However, before one can engage in a project with the knowledge he gains here, he must plan his project to the most minute detail on paper. Planning ahead, insures success and lessens waste of time and materials. Draft- ing, like some forms of mathematics, develops organized minds and instills in students the habit of planning ahead. This course, along with its running mate, shop, helps to point out fields of vocation rather than to train students specifically for these vocations. Ninth Grade Drafting Wood Shop As another phase of Industrial Arts, Ushopv goes hand-in-hand with drafting, for when the plan of a project has been made on paper, it is then used in wood shop, or metal shop, as the case might be. In seventh grade the students start out by learning how to use basic hand tools. They are given a board which they plane and make into an attractive serving tray with the use of a jigsaw. Eighth graders, this year, turned out canape holders in the shape of a pig. Finished and painted, the little pigs made fitting decorations for any table. After the eighth graders have finished this required project, they have their choice of another. Metal shop is for the ninth graders who make cookie cutters Eighth Grade Wood Shop Mr. D. C. Shirk from sheet metal. The more advanced members of the class are taught to use the lathe. In the elective course offered to senior high students, the individuals are permitted their choice of a wide variety of imagin- ative projects. 26

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I-I0 E ECO OMICS The scope of Home Economics is broad enough to include a variety of different and fascinating fields. This course, therefore, develops imagination and originality. The purpose of home een is to help girls and boys to contribute to better home and family living. Mrs. Ruth Wagner teaches seventh graders about nutrition, foods, grooming, and clothing. From this mixture of subjects, students derive benefits which become very handy a little later on in life. Eighth graders study child care, knitting, costume design, and advanced clothing. They become accom- plished knitters, and some even fashion beautiful sweaters for themselves. In Ninth grade Home Ec ninth grade, a very interesting arrangement has been effected whereby the boys have a course in Home Econom- ics while the girls are taking Home Mechanics with Mr. Shirk. Girls also deal with such subjects as advanced foods, social relations, interior decoration, and home nursing. The senior high Home Economics course becomes elective and in it pupil and teacher work out a planned course according to their schedules and interests. DRI ER TRAINING Instruction in the rules of the road is given by Mr. D. C. Shirk, who has changed the method by which pupils learn Driver Training. He has intro- duced a committee system whereby three students take over each class period, and prepare the les- son. A different committee serves for each period. Tenth grade Driver Training Thus, students learn by explaining as well as by listening. At the end of the class, Mr. Shirk spends approximately five minutes summing up the material covered by the students. The course is made more interesting by the use of speakers, films, and dem- onstrations. Special apparatus is used to test a driv- er's reaction time and eyesight. With so many more families owning automobiles, it becomes increas- ingly more important that drivers observe carefully the rules established by law to make the roads and highways safer. Driver Training courses have pro- vided a way to teach good driving habits to teen-agers before they begin to drive. The course is of- fered for the tenth grade, since the pupils of this age group are just about old enough to obtain licenses. The Pennsylvania Vehicle Code becomes one of their most important textbooks. Of course, this is only the classwork end of learning to drive. The actual instruction in driving and road training are given by the lVest Lawn Motor Compnayg however, the groundwork is laid first as a preparation for making good, intelligent drivers from teenagers. 25

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PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS A new addition to our curriculum is the photogra- phy class. which is directed by lVIr. D. C. Shirk. As part of the Industrial Arts program, this instruction in photography supplements Mr. Shirk's department by creating another field in which students may express their talents. The size of the class is necessarily small because of limited dark room facilities. Only a Dark Room few of the students who showed a definite interest in photography could be accommodated. The main objective of the course is to turn out suitable photographers for the Colophon staff. Al- ready this department has supplied many pictures for our yearbook. The first study which the class un- dertook was that of the simple box camera. This is followed by the close examination of the reflex-type camera. In order to prove that good pictures can be taken with the smallest of cameras, Mr. Shirk then demonstrated the use of the miniature. Students of the photography class not only take pictures but also develop the negatives and print and enlarge them. The facilities in the dark room enable the students to learn all these phases of photography. In a few years we shall feel the effect of the photo- graphy class as these trained students move up into the ranks of the Colophon staff. STUDY HALLS Library efficiency has been greatly stepped up by a new system of study halls whereby most studies are held in classrooms, the pur- pose of which is to relieve congestion in the library and to give Mrs. Rebecca Hefilner, our librarian, a chance to organize and maintain effec- tively this section of the school. Study halls in classrooms serve the same purpose as those in the library and are accompanied by fewer distractions. They provide not only the opportunity to study, but also one to confer with the faculty member in charge on private matters of academic im- port. Of course, special reference work during Hstudiesn is permitted in the library. Mrs, Rebecca Heffner If a student makes wise use of his study halls, he will find that his homework is greatly reduced. Especially in the junior high school, teachers expect most assignments to be com- pleted during these free periods. However, in order to enjoy all the benefits of the library. one must obey its rules and respect its functions. A student who budgets his time wisely knows how re- warding it is to carry only three books home each afternoon in- stead of five, -