Medina County High Schools - Mecoan Yearbook (Medina, OH)

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QM To {he people, of Medina Courr mho have made pos- sible {he presen{ edvca{ional advarc- taqcs,eie dedicate A ' hi 5 , our first volume,

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m T fee Mecooii EB The High Schools of Medina County Medina County is twenty miles south of Lake Erie in a southwesterly direction from the great city of Cleveland. Its gently rolling surface is possessed by a rural population which has the faith of the fathers in the quality of the public schools and in the value of education for the perpetuation of the Republic. On all sides within one and one-quarter hours drive are the great higher institutions of learning, Oberlin College, Western Reserve University, Akron University, Wooster College, Ash- land College, and Kent State Normal. In such a setting an entire county of strong centralized schools has been developed. Five years ago in Medina County there were a number of wooden structures and a few composite buildings that were far inadequate to the needs of the modern schools. Through a consistent campaign, a con servative building program was put on and today the citizens point with pride to very worthy achievements in this line. Dur- ing that time one room schools have been abandoned, courses of study have been re- vised and strengthened, uniform standard equipment for laboratories has been required. Libraries and science rooms have been standardized and domestic science and manual training equipment has been provided. All fourteen high schools of the County are operating under a first class charter, among these, four also have Junior High School charters and five others, within the last twelve months were granted six year high school charters by the State Depart- ment of Education. Since authorities concede that grouping children of the adolescent and pre-adolescent age with those of their own mental age and development is the best educational practice, it is 1 planned by those in charge to have all high schools of the County School District secure the six year charters in the near future. At the present time these schools are departmentalizing in the upper six grades, thus accom- plishing nearly the same results. This volumn was prepared that the patrons of these schools might have concrete evidence of some of the work that is being done. The schools belong to the people. The product turned back to the civic body in the form of citizenship is the result of the combined efforts of all the educational forces and the public. In service to the people who have thus far carried the schools to the present high state, it is the purpose of the present county administration not only to lay hold of whatever was good in the past but to promote the best in the theory and practice of the present day. To that end we must look toward better health in the child, to the best equipment possible consistent with the needs and finances of the school, toward an ever better teaching force, to well trained supervisors and high minded men and women in every phase and every department of school work. A county wide project for school ground landscaping and decoration is being promoted. The county music program will be improved and extended. To the county force in the near future is planned the addition of an art and penmanship supervisor and perhaps a school nurse. With an adequate teaching force strengthened by public approval the Schools of Medina County aim to so educate the youth socially, morally, physically and in- tellectually that they may be enabled to enjoy individually the fruits of their own efforts and live up to the social and civic standards of the race. S. H. BABCOCK, County Superintendent of Schools.