Gas City High School - Epoch Yearbook (Gas City, IN)

Page 54 text:

O--.li-THE EPOCH,1927-i--o Q . Z TYPING The typing department has given splendid assistance toward running the business side of our school. All Annual work has been typed by typing pupils. Beginning typewriting courses aim only to teach the keyboard and instill confidence in the pupils. Accuracy is emphasized far above speed. and errors are penalized heavily. The average speed should be about 35 or 40 words per minute at the end of the first year. The second year of typewriting is devoted to speed, with accuracy still held in the foreground. One incorrect stroke is penalized 50 strokes, or practically one line of ordinary type. The average speed should be about 60 words per minute. In beginning shorthand the Gregg Manual is used, and students are confined to drill on forms, rules, penmanship, and slow dictation. At the end of the first semester the students must know all the word signs in the Gregg system. By the end of the first year all prefixes and sufhxes must have been learned. In advanced shorthand the entire year is devoted to gaining speed in taking dictation in both old and new matter, literary, and business forms. The average speed is 110 to 125 at the end of the senior year. Commercial Arithmetic aims to teach the student five things, namely, command of the fundamental processes of addition, subtraction, multi- plication, and division, a workable knowledge of fractions and taxes, part- nerships and corporations, commission and brokerage.

Page 53 text:

.,T?4TTH EPOCH,1927-il---l-0 E BOOKKEEPING The first high schools established in the United States were attended only by children ot' the wealthy. The courses offered in these early schools were college preparatory courses, since most of the graduates expected to attend some institution of higher learning. At this time people looked upon education above the grades as a luxury to be enjoyed only by the sons and daughters of the rich. In a few short years high schools sprang up rapidly all over the country and 'as a result, every boy and girl now has a chance to receive a high school education. This is no longer looked upon as a luxury. High school courses, howevei', did not keep pace with the democratic spirit- of the schools. Many boys and girls attended high schools who never expected to enter a college or university, yet these pupils were re- quired to take the traditional college preparatory course. Custom is a diflicult thing to break and many schools are still bound by the old shackles. Is it any wonder that many pupils quit school before graduation? Gas City High School, along with other progressive schools, has broken away from the old custom, and is now offering four courses in addition to the college preparatory course. Since many of our pupils enter the business world after graduation. the Commercial Course is a very popular one. This course includes such practical subjects as Commercial Arithmetic, Bookkeeping, Shorthand, Typewriting, Business English, Commercial Law, and Salesmanship. The Bookkeeping course aims to give the students a practical and usable knowledge of the principles of double entry bookkeeping and of the cash book, sales and purchases books, and general ledger. Twenty exer- cises are worked out at the first of the year, after which two laboratory sets are used to illust1'ate the theory set forth by the text book.

Page 55 text:

U---4?THE EPOCH,1927-l---o DOMESTIC SCIENCE All High Schools must provide at least one full year's work in Home Economics for the girls. Home Economics instruction should be organized and conducted so as to accomplish the following results: Q15 It should give to our young people a more intelligent appreciation for the important and fundamental occupation ot' home making. Q25 It should prepare them for etlicient and economic work in the home. ' Four courses in Home Economics are given at the p1'esent time in the Gas City High School. One semester of foodsis given in the Freshman year. The aim of the foods course is to give the girl a practical knowledge of food in relation to her healthg experience in selection and preparation of foods and practice in planning, preparing and serving meals. One semester of clothing is also given in the Freshman year. The question arises in this course, Why study textiles ? Textiles should be studied because a large part of the income is spent for textiles. The pur- pose of most clothing courses is to teach the girl how to buy more wisely. This includes: CD How to judge qualityg C25 how to choose wisely for beauty and utility, and Q35 how to care for articles after purchase. A course in Dressmaking is offered for those girls who have com- pleted their first year of sewing. This course gives them more practical experience in constructing clothing and in the choice of clothing. A very interesting course in related art has been given this year. The great objective in this course is to develop a desire and an ability to apply the art principle in solving new problems, either individual, home or of the community. A course in Hygiene and Public Health will be given next year. Some course of this kind, adapted to special needs of students, should indeed form an essential and required part of every system of education.