Gainesville High School - Hurricane Yearbook (Gainesville, FL)

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GAINESYILLE HIGH SFHOOL. 1915 are true. But with the laboratory it ceases to be theory and becomes an actual law to the student when he has performed the experiments for him- self. . . We, the Senior Class of this school, hope that we have played our part in making the Gainesville High School what it is to-day. We are truly thankful that we have had the privilege of attending this High School. It is our desire to see it continue its progress. We sincerely hope that it may become a model for other high schools. The possibilities are here for it to become such. They only need development. That the Gainesville High School will continue to keep a steady stride toward the front rank of institutions of its kind in the United States is the sincere wish of J. ROBT. FOAHD. THE GROWTH OF THE GAINESVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOL IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS The Gainesville Public School has grown wonderfully in the last five years. Many people know that it has grown, but few know the extent of its growth. Although many promising plans have neither flowered nor fruited, yet many needed changes have been accomplished and hopes have been realized. First, let us picture the school ive years ago. We see only one build- ing containing twelve class rooms, which seated all the pupils except the primary department, and the old East Florida Seminary, or better known as Epworth Hall, was rented for this purpose. Soon we find that things must be changed as the number of pupils increased. So in the early sum- mer of 1912 the beautiful new building was begun and Hnished in time for the fall term. This furnished sufiicient room for all the pupils including the primary department. In this same term the first annual of the Gaines- ville High School was published. This showed many people, who never knew before, what G. H. S. was really accomplishing. In 1914 the annual was again published and for the first time an alumni was organized. And now the year of '15 marks still greater improvements. The faculty as well as the student body has increased to a great extent, there being thirty teachers and about eight hundred and twenty-five pupils. This is an increase of nearly fifty per cent. in the faculty and about forty per cent. in the student body. The school board has obtained sufficient means so as to obtain teachers better prepared to instruct the pupils, that is, col- 11

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ILAINESYILLE HIGH SUHOOI., 1915 high school. While it is not a county high school in the true sense of the word. as we only get our pro rata share of the county school fund, yet our local school board make it a county high school by allowing children from over the Vounty to enter this school tuition free, and in fact no tuition is charged against any pupil, no matter from what county or state that pupil may come. This gives the children from all parts of Alachua County a chance to take advantage of a senior high school. Many are availing themselves of this opportunity already and some of our best students are those who come to us from points outside of Gainesville. It is the unbound- ed loyalty of our local Board of Trustees to the cause of educating the chil- dren of the greatest county in our state that these possibilities are ex- tended to these children, since the cost of maintaining a senior high school is too great to allow other districts of the county to support such a school. However. since Gainesville is able to maintain such an institu- tion of education, she extends an invitation to students of the county to take this advantage. High schools, in general, throughout the United States, are becoming more and more each year vocational institutions which Ht the graduate for a more active life without a college education. The Gainesville High School is no exception to the general rule, but is making wonderful strides in this kind of work. There is to he added, in the near future, to our regu- lar course an efficient manual training department for boys, and a domestic science department for girls. This will be an added advantage to the stu- dents of Alachua County who wish such work and are not financially able te attend college. Such work as this also adds interest to the school life of the student, for all students like practical work along with theoretical. Such departments add these practicalitiesg hence the result will be better Work and a greater mnnber of students. If the etlorts of leading educators throughout the state hear fruit in the coming session of the legislature we shall have added to our present facilities a normal department which will prepare students of the eleventh and twelfth grades for the work of teaching, thus increasing still further the value and influence of our High School. One of the greatest facilities added to our school during the past year is the installation of one of the most complete laboratories, physical and chemical, in the State. We are indebted to Professor J. J. Grimm for these additions, as it was by his influence that our Board of Trustees were per- suaded to add these facilities. The interest which these laboratories add to the regular text book work in physics and chemistry is unbounded. VVithout the laboratory the text book is merely theory to the student. He has only some other student's word that NeWton's Laws of Falling Bodies 10

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GAINESYILLE HIGH SCHOOL, 1915 lege graduates and those with more experince. Many good and useful books have been added to the lilrrary until now we have a fairly good library. By the eltorts of Professors Buchholz and Grimm an up-to-date laboratory has lveen placed in the school both for physics and chemistry. lloth chemistry and solid geometry are taught in the High School for the tirst time. Other great changes a1'e also noted. For the first time the buildings are absolutely clean and free from dust, under the supervision of our etlicient custodian and his corps of janitors. Ilut one of the greatest things, which occurred this term, is that tl. H. S. was placed on the list of the accredited high schools. This is especially of advantage to all that are graduated from it, as most of the colleges will allow them to enter without entrance examinations. One thing we regret is that the Senior class is not able to publish an annual this term, as times are so hard. But nevertheless we are going to do something that is really more beneficial to the school and that is, to have a publication which will advertise the school and let the people of Gainesville, Alachua County, Florida, and the colleges of the South know what the Gainesville High School has done and is able to do. The Music Art, and Expression Departments under the management ot' Miss Merchant, Mrs. Pierce. and Mrs. Roux, respectively, have made much progress and have a larger enrollment than ever before. Judging from what the school has done in the past tive years, we can imagine what it will be when another period of five years has passed. We fully realize there is still plenty of room for improvement, that it is not on an equal basis with the foremost schools of the State, but we believe in a year or two it will be. It may be possible that by next term home eco- nomics, manual training. and gymnastics will be placed in the school. Each year the grounds are made more beautiful. As we see that improve- ments are being made in every line, we have a right to think that the Gainesville T-Iiofh Sr-hool will be eoual to any high school in the State, and that the people of Gainesville will become more interested in it and even he prouder of it than of the L'niversity. MAYBELLE BELLAH. THE MODERN SCHOOL BUILDING AND ITS GROUNDS The school building and its play grounds are becoming more modern every day. It was not long ago that less thought was put into the require- ments of such buildings than most any other kind of structure, but since many disasters have occurred, causing much loss of life, people have be- 12