Hardin High School - Big Horn Yearbook (Hardin, MT)

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■ • • « . THE BIG HORN ANNUAL Our Progressive School Board I call attention tc two recent acts of the board of trustees which are epochal in this district: employment oi teachers on a twelve-month basis and extension of the teaching term four weeks Country districts have ordinarily regarded teacher employment much the same as the employment of farm labor—of the seasonal sort. Ordinarily a farmer hires for haying, for seeding, for harvesting, and for other emergency jobs, at the conclusion of which the man drifts on until he finds another occasional job. Perhaps this works well enough on the whole in the case of the hired man on the farm; certainly it is grotesque and vicious in the business of schooling children. Now it is to l e r cognized that the teacher is a nermanent fixture, o» I otter, a integral part of the community. yea. in and year out, just r.s is the banker, the farmei, the merchant, the doctor. She will have r reasonable vacation and will put in all of the rest of hci time in the performance ot her actual teaching duties or in preparing herself further foi an abler performance ol such duties. All of this means continuity, stability, justice, good business. I have just noted an item in the paper which showed that every one of the seventy grade teachers employed in a certain city of the state has just been reappointed for the year at a salary ranging from a minimum of $1300 to a maximum of $1950 per year. Notice the salary, notice that not one among seventy was discharged, and notice that that city has paid its teachers on a twelve months basis these many years. Failure to re-appoint in the case of a large proportion of a teaching corps may be indicative ol any one or more of the following fundamental causes: Incompetence ol the superintendent and supervisory officers. Improper interference by the school board. A critical, gossipy,unsympathetic and non-co-operativc community. Living conditions so bad that only the poorest teachers will con-sidei submitting to them. 11-liberality of community, superintendent, oi school board. Salaries so low that good teachers are secured only by accident. To be able conscientiously to retain every teachei is not only a compliment tc the teaching corps, it is a much grcatei compliment to the superintendent, the school board, and the community. The teacher labor turnover in country districts and in small cities of the United States is exceedingly vicious. Henry Ford could not profitably make so good a car for so small a price if he had the tramp labor situation in his plant that we have generally in our school systems. If the conditions of labor in his plant were not psychologically and hygienically right, his labor would go bad; he would have difficulty getting good men and more difficulty in keeping them; and both he and the public would suffer, in lost profit on the one hand, and in reduced and more expensive service on the other. Intelligent management encourages fair teachers to become good teachers and good teachers to l ecomc superior teachers. Longer Term. I will not take space at this time to discuss the advantages of the longer term, for they would seem to be obvious First, on the twelve-months basis of employment the additional month costs hardly anything. Second, it means that the children will progress more than one-tenth faster. Third, with a ten-months term wc can venture to look other civilized countries in the eye without shame or apology. It is reported that there is not a single public school in all Saskatchewan province that is not in session many days longer every year than is any public school in the state of Montana. Think of the shame ol the frightful illiteracy of our native-boni Americans; think of the fate of democracy in this country, remembering that the ultimate hope for its preservation and extension is in the people’s public school; then thank your trustees for their progressiveness and bid them push on, always forward. Hardin Grade School Building • CRcoL-House at ; vz-V • £ - Cu TI S C.OEHME. ARCH-r5lL' l(3i£ • MON T . — si —

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THE UK; HOKN ANNUAL months of school under t mi nod teachers in pood school houses, well provided with proper equipment. To deal with a public concern ol such magnitude and importance, men oi' conspicuous ability and public interest are attracted to serve as trustees, and the iconic have a large choic in crafting such officers. Kecent Progress. 1 -.pile oi the fact that the year 1019-20 has been one oi hardshi • .md reverses because of exti. :.:u drouth, progress in the schools h; s not faltered. A district sup rintendent was employed last summer. Steps have been taken toward gradual centralization and transportation. The six-and-six organization has l een effected. Departments in home economics, manual training, vocational agriculture, and music have been established in the High School and the commercial work has been put on p substantial footing An excellent district High School building has been completed and pul into use. A plan of physical development has been adopted and is going into practice in all ol the schools of the district. Student life and activities have been thoroughly organized in the High School, when there are now in successful operation u live students’ association and council, two glee clubs, an orchestra. an agricultural club, a commercial club. The High School has entered inter-school contests for the first time in athletics, debating, and declamation. An eight-page district paper has been successfully published every other week, a Year Hook completing the publications of the year. All of these activities have been sell- supporting. The High School may be said already to be in process of becoming the civic con-tor. not only of the immediate community in which it is located, l ut of the district and contiguous sections, as may be seen in thi‘ various entertainments,, gymnastic work, the farm rally, agricultural extension work, etc. The district meet, held this year for the first time, is typical ot the spirit, purpose and method of the administration. Each of the above items could lie amplified interestingly, but space is limited. Suffice it to say that they are external manifestations of the determination to extend and intensify the civic, economic, and cultural service of the school system. What Next? Energy will be directed toward fixing the policies and practices which have already ! • «-.i begun. Stress must be laid uj - on vitalizing the community life al»out each and every school in the district, and upon. relating the interests oi all of the school communities to the common interests of the district as a whole. Every community must lx- concerned about the well are of every other community. Every group—farmer, merchant, hired help—must think of the largei group of which each is a part. The schools can and will reveal a larger social horizon, more fundamental ivlatioslnps, and paths which represent principles of right and lead tc higher levels oi political and industrial democracy, efficiency, and enlightenment. The educational process may seem slow, but then it is exceedingly sure. It will be borne in mind that for every community in the district there is a twelve-year school, oven though lour years of the twelve must be had at one point only in the district. It will be borne in mind that the Hardin High School” is only an abbreviation oi Hardin District 1711 High School. it will not be forgotten that this is a country school in a country town in a country district and that all ol the children in it are country children of country people—all dependent upon kind Providence and upon an intelligent and prosperous agriculture for a living—the merchant, the lawyer and the banker just as much as the man in the field in charge of the production end of the great common business ol farming in w hich all of oui people have a part. We are all engaged. from one angle oi another, in the big family enterprise of farming and we must direct our united attack against nature and the markets. Heal education takes into consideration the economic background. It must be evidept to all that justice and wisdom and bus ness sense require the erection of a dormitory at the District Hign School where children from a distance may be properly cared for during theii high school years at the leist possible cost to their parents. At the b sr, the family living at a distarce from the High School—and some families mus' live some distance from Hardin if tney and the town of Hardin a e to live at all—is handicapped. It is the duty of a’l to help relieve that handicap by providing a dormitory rent free and foDd at cost for out-of-lown pupils. Besides, educational investments re good investments, both fr m the individual and from the public standpoints. Unless the road conditions are as bad next year as they have been thi th«- extension id a or the High School will be muen more promine it, and the superintendent will be able to keep in closei touch with the outside couraged to think of then sebes schools. All teachers will be en-as permanent members of their respective communities, on the same general looting as are doctors, preachers, laborers, and business men. The school organization will endeavor to discharge its function, in co-operation with all other organizations, us a centra! social agency. The school management is much gratified at the many ev-ido ices ol lively interest on the poll o the public. Idle and destructive critic i in. itself flattering in that it denotes interest. is almost wholly swallowed up in the attitude ol lioosting and constructivcrers. There appear.. to be a distinct tendency in tin community to refrain from unfavorable comment until teacher, principal, or superintendent has been consulted fer their viewpoint and the real facts. The schools will make every effort to encourage and deserve such fair and considerate treatment. It is fell that a policy of aggressive publicity is highly important and desirable, particularly in a new country where custom and traditions are in formation. Possibly public education has been remiss in its duty to advertise its wares as vigorously as othei and less important commodities are ad-advertised. No one doubts that the fate oi democracy is to be settled in the public schools. Teachers’ Salaries Unlc enough money is made available to maintain teachers fit to instruct and inspire young Americans to save America for democracy, to do the work of society, and to establish and maintain, real homes, then the whole business may just as well be chucked overboard. For the sake of our children and as a matter of good business—to say nothing of justice tc teachers— salaries will again have tc be increased ver materially, even it the cost of living should decline somewhat. Increases of from 25 to 40 pci cent were allowed by the Board for the coming year. In general, school districts throughout the state are having to vote additional levies above the maximum which may be levied by the School Boards in order to pay the teachers and save the schools. — Fivr —

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 -4- «• •• •- • •• •• I ■+- THE BIG HORN ANNUAL C. G. FRY, Principal of High School Scholarship:— Viola Brennan Rcmiio Took Thomas Cook Lucille Bartlott Ralph Dctcamp I esIle Fish bach Kathryn Kelley Phebe Jewel Helen McCarthy Charlotte Put nan Margaret Smith Arthur Strand Helen Wort Webb Weir Computation:— Robert Ebellng Helen Howell Spelling:— Juanita Fish Athletics:— Bernice Carper Olive Kellams U Vota Van Houton Clara Lockwood Etta Torsko William Larkin Oswald Burla I’arl Hoorr George Tipton Edgar Reeder Claire Pafford Arthur Gladden Cyrus Calhoun Earl Brennan Robert Young Uriel King -The Big Horn”:— Helen Wort Opal Fllnncr Hesslu Cook Oswald Burla Webb Weir Helen McCarthy Randal Carter Sam Ragland Rachel Ottun Kathryn Kelley William lxirkin Joseph Torsko Harold Llndstron. Edgar Reodor Phebo Jcweli Oleta Lewis Debate:— Harold Llndstron. Phebo Jewell Buchanan Foley Bcssiu Cook Ik'clainatlon:— Phebo Jo well Harold Llndstron Randall Carter Arthur Strand Harry Cox Edwin Astlt Blanche Tipton Russel Danlelsot Play:—. William Larkin Oswald Burla Edgar Reeder Randall Cartel Olivo Kellams Rachel Ottun Ellen Stearns Helen McCarthy Orrln Weir Viola Brennan Claire 1’afford Glee Club:— Helen Howell Charlotte Putnam Kathryn Kelley Pauline Astle Viola Brennan Clara Lockwood Rachel Ottun Helen McCarthy Helen Wort Oleta Lewis Elizabeth Weller Lucille Bartlett Lillian Robcr Orin Weir Arthur Gladden Jacob Queen George Tipton Oswald Burla lx flic Fish bach Randall Carter Filing Olson Gordon Yonst Edgar Reeder Webb Weir William Larkin Claire Pafford Orchestra:— Lloyd Russell Ear! Brennan Carl Olson Vincent Fish bach Robert Rosa Edwin Astle Ix'slio Fishbach Filing Olson '•ordon Youst — Seven — -• 4 ! •-« -I •»•♦•• •