Elkhart High School - Pennant Yearbook (Elkhart, IN)

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iijT- Clarice M, Robin.iori, Shorthand and Transcription Mr. Howard J. Boyle. Vocational Bookkee[)in) Consumer Education. Mr. Melvin W. CJlendenin; , Typin i. Commercial Law. Miss Marie Siner, Bookkeeping, Commercial Geography. Miss Helen E. Kirkland, Shorthand, Typing. Commercial Department CONSUMER EDUCATION, a very practical course of better buying, is the newest course available in the com- mercial department. Two new courses, one in clerical prac- tice and one in geography, will ])e added next fall. Prog- nostic Tests, to determine ability in shorthand, are being C(jiitii)u ' d lliis year. New cipiiiiincnt ])uriiiased tiiis year, and used by the office-practice classes, includes: a dictaphone, three Bur- roughs ( alcdiators, thirty-five units of files and a new niinicograpli. With this equipment the commercial depart- ment serves the entire school as a place where duplicating of all kinds is done. Members of the department also do all llic . Y. A. bookkeeping and take charge of all school funds niaiiaged by the Board of Control. I ' ll! ' : Tvi:nly-lv,r

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The Mathematics Department rooms are now grouped on third floor, which is more convenient and unified for the work of the department. Increased attendance in trigonometry and algebra 4 indicate that this is proving a valuable basis for boys who plan to take engineering. These boys graduate with four years of mathematics and many of them are filling engineering positions now without college work. SCIENCE The Biology Department is organized so that individual work is ex- pected in accordance with interests and capacities. Each student may pursue his or her individual interests to a final conclusion in that area of learning. The activities are numerous as suggested in the manual which was written by Miss Bandow and Mr. Adams. The biology department stresses individual field trips and each student provides most of the labora- tory materials such as algae, bacteria, leaves, roots, flowers, fish, ferns, molds, earthworms and frogs. Credit is given on all activities which seem worthy. Last summer a class of biology was held during the forepart of the summer which proved to be a very interesting project on the part of the students as the summer time seems the best time for biology work. Photography plays an important pari in biology as we try to interpret the environment to the student. Good pictures are an asset to the depart- ment. Several students have been working at photographic projects, such as outdoor and photo-micrography. The aspirations of the department center on the development of an outdoor laboratory. The outdoor laboratory idea was started last year and has been continued witli hope of making it the second such project in the state. Biology is the study of living things and their relationship to the environment and a laboratory in a building is far from natural. The outdoor laboratory offers many possibilities for practical observations to biology students. Our aim is to offer the best biological facilities that can be arranged for the boys and girls of Elkhart. Languages Ancient and Modern In the language department pupils are busy learning to read and understand a foreign tongue. Stories of mytho- logical content are read by the second year Latin classes during the first semester. Some collateral reading in English is done and special reports are given. In the second semester Caesar ' s Gallic Wars are fought and projects are centered on arms and equipment. Historical fiction is read and reviews are given to the classes. In the Vergil class emphasis is placed on reading as much of the Aencid as possible. There is scanning to do. historical novels and plays to read, projects to work on. and classical references and allusions in English poetry to observe and collect. The French classes are reading plays and novels along with their struggle to master irregular verbs. The pupils taking Spanish have traveled in their reading to Spain and Mexico and the fifteen Spanish speaking coun- tries in South America. They are learning something of the legends, traditions, customs and history of our good neigh- bors to the South. Supplementary reading of Spanish stories is required. The foreign language department has five clubs: a Latin Club for those pupils who have had two years of Latin: a Mythology Club for the second year pupils; a French Clid): a Spanish Club for beginning pupils, and another fur ad- vanced pupils. Mrs. Francis Avery. Latin and English : Miss Gladys King, Spanish and French ; Miss Merle Cunningham, French and English ; Miss Marguerite Sawyer. Latin.

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With the rearrangement of rooms in which social science courses are taught, rooms around 220, a better use of equipment such as maps, charts, and supplementary texts has been possible in the history department this year. The contemporary scene, particularly the wars in Europe and the Orient, has received a great deal of em- phasis in all history classes this year. Class discussion of current events is based on The American Observer, but pupils are urged to read other news magazines, as well as the daily paper. The Sociology classes under Mr. Sands ha e arranged and conducted a number of interesting lectures this year. Elkhartans who are well-qualified to speak on all phases of local conditions, spoke to the classes and to all other students whose study periods permitted them to attend the lectures. Next )ear the department looks forward to a practical course which will combine civics, sociology and eco- nomics; the course, to be called American Problems will give students a background for better citizenship. Social Studies l ' - ff- E. Santls. History and Sociolok v ; Mr. R. R. Jordan. History; Mr. R. A. bproull. Hi.story and Civics; Miss Florence Hill. History and Kconomu ' p. Mr. R. H. Gemmecke, Civics H. P. Berkey, History. History; Mr. Wilbur Mater. History; Mr , J i