Central School - Deeds and Misdeeds Yearbook (Decatur, IN)

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DEEDS AND MISDEEDS 23 MANUAL TRAINING The manual training of 1922-‘23 proved to be a great success. EVen though some of the classes were handicapped by short terms many pro¬ jects were made which can be put to good use in and about the home. Each section received manual train ing three weeks from eight until ten o ' clock in the morning. The first semester there were six classes which did the work easily in eighteen weeks but in the second semester there were seven sections and some of these clas¬ ses were very large thus hampering the work of the pupils The difficulties of short time and crowded condition were overcome, however, by the pupils working after school hours and earl} in the morning By their putting in over-time the pupils exhibited a pleas¬ ing attitude toward their shop work. Some of the projects completed in the shop are tabourets, foot stools, book racks, hall trees, broom holders cutting boards, radio cabinets and loads of half lap joints. There was a great amount of repairwrok done 01 . maps, hurtles and chairs. We also built foot stools for the 7Bs ' whose legs are too short for their ed¬ ucation. The repair department also put new running gears on Mr. Brown ' s baby crib. The 7-Bs’ who had never had man¬ ual training before were very anxious to get into shop work but they soon found that it became an “old joke” to run one of those “great big planes” and “wee little saws.” The classes were held in the High School Manual Training shop which is well equipped with wood working tools and machinery. This gave them a chance to do all their work very neatly and accurately. For finishing the projects, the best obtainable paint, stain and varnisn was used. Not only did it require will, but plenty of muscle grease was also applied in giving the work a fin¬ ishing touch. At times the pupils thought L he teacher was harsh with them .vivn he made them do their work accur¬ ately and neatly, but now since they have developed accuracy and derived much benefit by exercising care they thank Mr. Gephart for much of their success in the shopwork. --•Chester Reynolds - •- PENMANSHIP There is not the least reason why any normal boy or girl should leave school unable to write a rapid leg- me style of business penmanship. Not only is this true but when we fail to develop a child in this most essential subject, we start that child in life with a handicap as serious as if we fail to develop proper speech. Being a firm believer of the above ptatement , Supt. Worthman made a ruling effective this year, that requires an improvement certificate be fore his grades will be accepted in the high school. The totals below represent the awards granted thus far this year. An other shipment was made on which the return have not yet been received. High School Diplomas . 12 Final Certificates . 50 Improvement Certificates . 30 Progress Pins . 13

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22 DEEDS AND MISDEEDS PHYSICAL TRAINING The general aims of the schools are, to direct, guide and control the will-power. Physical activities are in a large measure, the measure of accomplishing these desired results. This has been our constant aim for the past two years. Bodily exercises are therefore no longer synonymous with muscle development, but aim chiefly to relax the mind and to con¬ trol the will. The daily routine then should include physiciai training; in this manner exercises become a daily habit and a stimulant to the will. The four phases of physiciai train¬ ing, namely: play, calisthenics, gymnastics and athletics, bring co¬ ordination to the mind and body, causing the mind to accustom itself to the physical work, and the muscles to come under the control of the mind. The subject of hygiene has been taken up in our Physical Training classes, and the boys and girls of to¬ day, who will be the fathers and mothers of tomorrow, are taught to know the proper care of their bodies. The possibilities of this subject are unlimited, so our chief aim was in¬ dividual heal th with the motto: “Bet¬ ter health means increased efficiency in school work.” I feel that much good has been ac¬ complished in the past two years in the Decatur Schools in Physical Training and those who are engaged in this work of studying wholesome forms of recreation are justified in a feeling of deep satisfaction that they are getting at the very roots of hu¬ man misery and are rendering the highest type of service to their com¬ munity and to the world at large. COACH MOORE —-o- A number of excellent original poems on the subject “Spring” were written by the fifth and sixth grade pupils. Those written by Isabelle Baumgartner and Janies Engle were worthy of special mention. Anna E. Winnes’ was considered worthy of publication. In the Spring Have you seen an April shower in the Spring? In the Spring. A refreshing April shower in the Spring? When the flowers pink and white Dance about with wild delight? Oh, a very pretty sight In the Spring! Have you seen a nest of birdies in the Spring? In the Spring. A nest of little birdies in the Spring, When the tulip buds are out And butterems flit about And the children laugh and shout In the Spring? —ANNA E. WINNES Room 3, Grade 6 (Apologies to Wm. Wesley Martin) - o- Very Few Survive Miss Sellemeyer (In Civics class) “We must do something to keep sick, poor and insane immigrants out of our country. “What do you suggest?” Edward Anderson: “Give them an intelligence test such as we took and not many will come in.”

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24 DEEDS AND MISDEEDS MUSIC Music, one of the five principal arts, is an integral part of man’s daily life. Music is a balm and an inspiration to the soul; it drives away cares, sor¬ rows, and dull moments. In the schoolroom it is a great aid to discipline. Boys and girls love to sing. They enjoy expressing their finer emotions and thoughts in song form. It brings cheerfulness and is a recreation in the daily routine of work. The boys and girls of Decatur have certainly worked hard to learn new songs both by rote and by note; the latter being often a difficult task to do. We have tried to help boys and girls learn to appreciate some of the better songs, and hope they will be able to discriminate between the good and poor types of music. In working with these children, we have formed some opinions as to the probability of developing the talents of boys and girls in this field. Then too, not all can be performers, so it is highly necessary to have good eda- cated listeners for listening intelli¬ gently is in itself a very commend¬ able art. Throughout the course we have tried to drop a kernel of theory. For after all this comes second in place to appreciation. Theory, the funda¬ mental principles upon which music is based, must be partly understood to be able to be a performer. And several of the pupils are aiming for a partially musical career if not an entire one. Throughout the school there is a very commendable spirit shown in music. The work can become very profitable and good results may be expected if the course is kept as a definite subject in the school curricu¬ lum. Almost everyone enjoys music in one form or another. And many find their greatest enjoyment in life if they may be entertainers. They learn to do a part of this in the school room, where they are often asked to take part individually. “Where there is music there’s life, Where there is life there’s music.” MISS RIESEN. - o- GEOGRAPHY The 8A class has had a very pleas¬ ant time traveling through the differ¬ ent countries of Africa, South Ameri¬ ca, Asia, Australia, and parts of Eur¬ ope. That seems to be an extensive trip, but with our first class, high pow¬ ered automobile and Miss Mutschler as our chauffeur, we have been able to complete that journey in one se¬ mester. The things that interested our class the most were the oriental costumes, which the people wore. Theii strange manner of living, their child marriages, their strange religious and sacrifices of human beings were a few of the numerous topics for discussion. Several weeks were spent in travel¬ ing over Egypt. We tried to deter¬ mine the race and color of the Queen of Sheba. We visited King Tut’s tomb. Every one has in his possess¬ ion a relic that was found in the tomb. We have studied Egyptian styles and