Central High School - Interlude Yearbook (South Bend, IN)

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'.lilll'0llgll these agencies our comnnmity realizes a fuller return of its property investments and it is hoped the future may show still greater increases in such returns. Why should magnificent property ofthis kind be dark and silent monuments of neglected opportunities, when so little expense will open them as centers of civic and social benefit. The actfual use of the school properties for school purposes is barely over 12M per cent of the time in each year. I ' It is not our province to forecast the future of the South Bend schools, but the present indicates some possibilities near at hand as de- velopments in the city's educational system. The rapid growth in at- tendance in the eighth grade and high school bespeaks a greater appre- ciation of the advantages of education by the masses of our people. lt betokens an abiding interest in the school as a people's helper and makes of the school a civic interest appealing to all classes among our citizenship. The development of the continuation school idea, if followed up. may lead to the establishment of an academy of literature, sciences and applied arts, wherein many of our people may receive collegiate or teach- ers training without going away from their home city while taking this fi ss? 43. gr: TS i73's sq? work. With the extension of the high school, it is not impossible to provide such additional academic and technical work as would enable our people who wish to go to college to receive one or two years credit on college entrance and thereby reduce the time and expense in attending a school more remote from home. The expansion of the city indicates a. time not far distant when the seventh, eighth and ninth grade work will be more largely attended and more advantageously carried on in quarters provided in the different sections of the city, instead of bringing these immature children long distances to the central part of the city. The liberality of our people in the matter of school equipment. furnishing adequate buildings, betokens a time not far distant when the districts will be supplied the necessary working equipment, for which the child will be responsible, whether it be books, tools or any other necessary school furniture. N. , VVhen the educational system of South Bend shall have reached these things, new possibilities forqsocial service and broader vistas for individual help will open for the children and the adult interested in educational matters in South Fiend. e 4? -as NP' f ' , mkfmf t I W-dffiufl X gy? is fvi,awwaf fag XM 'LL f 5 LF uf, f 7 .fl 1-ur '+l7'z'l:i-ual f'j',fl4 iff' f v-:aes J: ' 'twill' 'll , , ,f vr,N, xr-ina! K i lfil f fff fi -I-. ' -E' W S: 1 XQBTX.. 1 5 I . -T S - f -'L ree 5' ff ,ae -- , 1. -,bv-1.-'-F ,X r , 'ff 1 . ,awww f-ff,-. ., '-sl., .gf wif Mwwswbn- , ll- 5, -J '-Hia., 'J D5 'D 755 Hz uw ' 2 - 'iw ' . if Q Q, fifZ'W,f xQ'.nf74. ..,, ,f W K: 1 5-,2 ywwyyiz .I 7 1 : 1 ., . ,sl,,::,g::.+e'7.'p1'f' TW M .JM ar ff - L pe 1 ' ' 'T , f-fggp: ' mini! ' ' f i,:- 1. -fs ' ,: L:,,,,,Wl ' I Kg- L -li Q' I 'fl' Ir,-. i 5: 4. ,, -V 1 ,Huff V .:. ,,fWf,, elrg ' 5 - Ly' ff' .1 ' .. 277' 7241 : -- . 'H'1. ' '9 H Q I , . .- . 'frA M' -H '- ers--Q' - .Effie-1:' f gif, 5 , .n7g, ...e1f 1' - : V -s g-me Xen- 2'Q '-.,'i ..,Ji' -- .-'a ,j .-Q T- -- ---- .-ff. E .. , i - .. -- e3rQ Page 23

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Retrospect and Prospect y The rapid growth of the schools of South Bend has been concurrent with the expansion of the city in population and area. For many years it has been the practice to locate the school buildings in the outskirts of the city rather than to concentrate them in the central portion. This has created residence and school centers tending to the better distribution of our people and the placing of schools within easy reach of the chil- dren in all parts of the present limits. The policy of the school administrators has been to erect buildings of moderate size, equip them with all necessary conveniences for first class work and arranging the districts so that the school houses may be as centrally located as possible. In these magnificent buildings, whose total value now is practically one million dollars, the children, teachers and citizens have a very just pride. Attention has been given to the beautification of buildings and lawns. Playgrounds have been provided for each building and in recent years some of these have been equipped with play-ground apparatus. The physical condition and welfare of the children has been conserved by careful attention on matters of lighting, heating and ventilating. All these physical equipments of the school have been provided that their scholastic work mightbe more effective, and that courses and subjects of study might be so arranged as to keep the child equipped with the best possible preparation for his present duties and future welfare. The course of study covers two years in kindergarten, eight years in the elementary schools and four years in the high school and in addi- tion to the regular requirements there is offered the equivalent of two years more in our high school, which may be taken as elective or as post- graduate work. In keeping with the changes of the pedagogical ideas of the country at large, changes have been made in the South Bend schools. For several years cooking has been taught in grades seven and eight. Last year it was introduced in the high school. Manual training has been introduced into the eighth grade and high school and in its simpler forms in cutting. drawing and card board construction, etc., is found in the grades. Dur- ing the last year sewing has been introduced in all the grades from the third to seventh and is made elective in the four years in high school. The course of study has been thoroughly reorganized through the joint action of committees of the principals with the co-operation of their respective teachers. The kindergarten and high school courses are still undergoing reconstruction. In all this reconstruction work the present needs of the community and needs of the individual have been studied and have been made the basis of the selection of work. An effort has been made to reunite the disassociated parts of the school system and to imbue the pupils and teachers with a spirit of patriotism and earnest support for the work of the entire system, that all the schools may serve the community in the very best possible manner. The development of the night schools during the past year has been most gratifying. More than Soo people, whose average age is nearly 26, have availed themselves of the opportunity for further studyand prepara- tion for their work by attending these schools. Fathers and mothers with their childrenqhave attended the classes for foreign speaking people, where they worked side by side mastering the difficulties of the English language. Nor have the continuation schools been confined to our be- ginners and foreigners, but classes in shorthand, typewriting, bookkeep- ing, business and social forms, debating, domestic science, in which cook- ing, sewing and home economics were treated, and classes in French and German were conducted, wherein opportunity was given to many who had been denied the privilege of this work in their younger years. Do- mestic science centers were conducted in the high school, Coquillard, and. Muessel buildings and in these classes were enrolled housewives, teachers, and girls from the ofiices and factories. In addition to the night school work the school equipment has served the community by furnishing centers in which public meetings were held wherein were discussed questions of municipal and local interest, also questions of literary and cultural nature. These programs were con- ducted through Parents-Teachers Clubs and the Social Welfare Com- mittee of the Chamber of Commerce, and have done much to bring our public into closer sympathy with and interest in the school buildings and school work. Page 22

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