Alexandria Monroe High School - Spectrum Yearbook (Alexandria, IN)

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WiFiWglH!'ft!'1tU4LG11 J Gitvittigiltvttvit W!L iWiW1W1l 'lWil W 1W1 'lW lvll lvll llvl THE OFFICE The superintendents office in Alexandria is the center of tllie administrative, executive, and supervisory activities of the city school Crganization. From this oflice go forth the regulations and orders that make a system of schools run smoothly. Pupils are assigned to buildings and rooms, and properly trained teachers are selected and employed to teach the various grades throughout that city. All kinds of school supplies, from ta janitor's mop or orocni to the hunilreds of tons of coal and tlhe sets of reference books, maps and other class room supplies that are needed in the course of a year, are purchased through this office- Every month checks to the anriunt of 354,000.00 or more are issued to pay teach- ers' and janitors' salaries and for the many bills for telephones, light, class room sup- plies, paper towels, liquid soaip, material for domestic science, tools and lumber for manual training, and paints and oils for school room walls and corridors, aind scores of other items. Nearly 350,000 are required every year to run our schools and the most rigid economy must be exercised at all times t0 make this sum produce the abso- lute necessities. 'l'o the superintenirlent's orlice there coime every das' men and Wcmen trying to sell something ranging from their services as enterlainers or as teachers to a moving picture film, a floor brush, set of encyclopedia, a dictionary, a. set of maps, a case of blackboard crayicn, a carton of paper towels, a barrel of scrubbing compound, of num erous other commodities of more or less value anzli it is part of the superintendents duty to ,meet and treat each of these salesmen and saleswomen in a courteous manner and to select from their gcoids theses things that tlhe schools need and can afford to purchase. The superintendent must know the needs ct' his schools from the teaching force down to the last. bit of cheesecloth needed for du sting and cleaning furniture and windows. 'l hen, too, there comes the new boy or girl who wiants to enter the schools somewhere between the first primary and the senior high school class: the irate parent vrlm is firmly convinced that his or her child has been unfairly treated bv its teacher the parent who wants a permit for a son or a daughter to go to work and who stead fastly maintains that the chilid is sixteen years of age although the sclfiol records for After these have been disposed of in the best possible manner' a' teacher comes in to discuss some particularly knotty problem of teaching or discipline or to propose some eight 'years past show that the child is only' fourteen years and nine months of age mr ir ii immmmm mir imr imie mrnava irainv i t iuuin i x 1 , 4 YY Page Seven

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if Wi 1W!L9lWiW W!191W!W1l9i9!Wll LWEWIU Ult lWll7IWIl JW 9! JWIWIW 7 71911 THE SCHOOL BOARD Une of the outstanding iigures in any regular and well, governed school system is the school board. These oflicials have a most important part in the successful oper- ation of the schools. The schoolg board is the body that formuletes policies on school gov-ernment. - The Alexandria public schools -have been fortunate, very fortunate, indeed, in the personnel of school boards in the past, as well as the board that is functioning at the present time. There is something more, in fact much more--besides the duties anid prerogatives which matured thought and fixed custom has assigned to them. Not until one has served on tihis board' does he realize the many perplexing problems that come up almost daily for consideration. The Alexandria School Board is comgposed of .the following well known and highliy esteemed gentlemen: Dr. W. R. Thomas, James W. Sullivan anvd James S. Wales. Dr. William R- Thomas, president of the board, has served faihtfully for almost six years. His first appointment came in June, 1918. He was re appointed in June, 1921, which terrm comes to a close in August, 1924. Dr. Thomas has been a tireless worker for the best interest of the public schools of the city of Alexandria, and it is no doubt pleasing to shim to have seen the schools grow as they have during his tenure of otiice. The introduction of basketball into the Alexandria High School was due directly to the oersiistent and untiring effort of Dr. Thomas. James W. Sullivan, treasurer, was appointed to a place on the board in June, 1923, succeeding George L. Frank. lVLr. Slullivan had served on the board in the past and his record as at sch-:ol man is well known to Alexvanidrians. He is a booster tor the new school project, and has stood behind the board as a whole in every move ment they ihave put forth for the betterment of the local public schools. James S- Wales, secretary of the board, was appointed in June, 1923, succeeding Ora A. Cripe. Mr. Wales has entered enthusiastically into school work and has spent much of his time in the interest. of the Alexanadria public schools. He is not new in public oiiice, having served as Mayor of Alexandria several years ago. Mr. Wales is an active booster for the new school building, nowi 'under constnuction, and his ambition is to make the Alexandria public schools. known all over the state for its excellent educational facilities. Many new departments have been added to tlhe curriculum 'during his period of service. in the 'Science department, -Physics, and Phlysical Geography, have been added: Domestic Science has been inaugurated and has proven a decided success, Maual Training, Commercial Courses and last, but not least, Athletics, have been given prom- inent places in the school work. With the completion of the new school building now under construction, Vocational Agriculture and Public Speaking will probably be added. These men have Worked tirelessly and faithfully for bhfey public schools of Alexandria, are entitled to the hearty appreciation that every community should have for public ,ervants who have rendered valuable service. and when they retire, they 'will know tlhat they have performed their duties well and AAA I Z to Fa FMFMFMFA Va Miata Falvolmlsl A VMFMI F if 12 I 1 Q i A . . A 2 ' . 1 in aiva.Mi v i.eiraiW1m sms Page Six

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w Q SWL? liftllilwlwi E V! 91 UIWJWR !Wlt 91tWlW1W1W 9lLWIW1l9!W 9!L 1WIW5,WLV 7 9 7 idea for the improvement of her work. A janitor comes in for a supply of supplemen- tary readers for one of the. outlying schools and as-ks for a new iioor brush. He reports that his roof leaks or tinat a pipe is leaking in the basement and asks that the rocfer or plumber be sent out to make the necessary repairs. ln the meantime the telephone has rung possibly fifteen times. A friend wants a high school puipil called trom class but is informed that such is against the rule. A long distance call fnom Muncie ogperat-org a father leaves word for 'Grace to come to Leeso-n's store after schoo-lg a newspaper reporter as-ks for El bit 'Of I19W'SJ H WOIHHH wants to know which edge of bunting should be displayed uppermcstg another wants to know how to pronounce a word. Atter the superintendent has disposed of the aforementioned anid numerous other minor duties including the reading and answering from five to twenty lette-rs daily, he is free to turn his attention to his major dutes. El-Ie reads the latest rules and instruc- tions from the -State Superintiendent's oiflice in order that his schools may be kept in good standing and that tlhe high school commission be not automatically canceled be- caluise he has failed to perform some required duty. He assists his secretary in making out numerous reports to the County Ausditor, the County Superintendent, the State Superintendent, the United States Bureau of Education, the Township Trustee, the North Central Association of Colleges and 'Secondary Schools, and an occasional ques- tionnaire from some brother superintendent! in a neighboring city or state- He visits one of his many teachers' cl-ass rooms, he inspects his buildings, he sees that all re- ports -are in piroiper form, he reaids sets of test pap-ers in order to see that teachers of various subjects are maintaining equal standands and quality of work, he prepares for teachers: meetings, and meet-s with his teachers in groups or in the entire body to dis cuss problem-s or to outline plans of procedure. While the superintendent is thus employed, his secretary, Miss Dorothy French, is constantly busy tyfp-ing letters, preparing mimeograp-hed bulletins of instructions and outlines for the use of teachers, or she is answering numerous questions put to her by teachers or pupils who come for information or supfplies. She' writes and keeps exact records of oarlders for books and clothing for indigent children. She writes all checks for all bills 'and keeps the financial records for all receipts and expenditures. Her records must be correct to the last penny. 'She balances her books every month and she can tell to a penny how' much money the schools have in each bank and in each fund. She is one oi' the busiest persons employed by the school board. The superintenudent also meets with his school board to discuss the numerous problems that arise that have not been specifically delegated to him for his sole solu- tion. Among these are those problems inviclving the making of the yearly budget, the tax l-evy, the teachers' salanyl schedule, issuing of bonds, the. letting of contracts, the selection of architects' plans, the opening of bids, the introduction of new courses, and so on seemingly without end. F. W. STCALER. :rfNFA1TA1F t' - li F ii li lioli i 1F 1F li 1WYM1i 1l li l 1WNlF ' l?Mi 1i ifAiIA1WlV l 4. ,Y 5 E ' gc. an 4.5 cu 4: 4 3 Q 4: Q ' 'vs 1: Q Qs Q: Q Q? E L. ,. ' 5 'wa GP .v 1: Y 1 S S :J 1: V as .n .- V as C - 1 3: C 45 O 47 Q 2 C 4: C 4: 1 is Q: Q as 42 me Page Eight