Mondovi High School - Mirror Yearbook (Mondovi, WI)

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11 THK HIGH SCHOOL MIRROR COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT. cll.e T. Shea, Instructor. The Commercial Course offered in our high school this year includes a two years’ course in Shorthand and Tvuevvr.timr. This work is offered to luniors and they are expfcTeTto finish the work in their Senior year. 1 he Graham system of Shorthand is taught. Students taking this work have the opportunity of learning to operate three styles of typewriters, namely, .Monarch, Remington and Smith-Premier. The touch system of typewriting is insisted upon. While it is customary for a student to take both subjects, we have a few who take only the typewriting. W e offer a course in Double Entry llookkeeping to Sophomore students. Instead of having a single period for recitation with outside time for prepara-uon, a double recitation period is provided for. I his enables the student to do all of this work under direct supervision. 1 his work continues throughout the entire year. Resales the bookkeeping proper, special drill on modern methods of business forms, systems of-filing, indexing, etc., is given. Combined with the bookkeeping a drill on penmanship is given, the pur pose being to improve the individual handwriting of the class rather than to teach a particular system. . . In Commercial Arithmetic we aim to give a course ot training intended to developlskill in solving”-problems with rapidity and accuracy. A thorough review of the fundamental operations is given, an abundance of practic.il problems are solved, and an effort made to familiarize students with short processes of computation in general use among business men. iwtira) English and Spelling are taught during the first semester of the ITesfimen year. Students are encouraged to discriminate in the use of the common words of our language, selecting the word that will best convey the meaning intended. Many words similar in meaning are studied, and used m sentences to illustrate their meaning. The study of ..-.-ini .ornphv- is a part of the hreshmen work lot the second semester? This subject treats of the commerce of the different countries of the world, both domestic and foreign. The various commodities and the disposition of same, for home consumption or foreign trade arc studied. V’arious means of transportation are studied and compared, and the chief industrial centers are located. The principal employments in which civilized man is engaged, namely. Agriculture. Manufacture. Mining, Commerce, and Transportation, are made the basis for much of the study of Commercial Geography. All students who take the full Commercial Course are not required to take the work in English History during the second semester tf the Junior vear. but instead can take the work iii l imienqalJ-Jiy The purpose of this work is to give an understanding of contracts! papers, etc. I lie work at the best must be of an elementary nature, but will give the student an introduction into the legal world, which will be of benefit to him in alter life. About seventy students are enrolled in the t ommercial work, twenty-eight of whom are taking Shorthand and Typewriting. Seven typew riters are kept busy most of the time. Visitors are always welcome.

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THE HIGH SCHOOL MIRROR 21 SP—:—f 1' 1 Doing? in the Departments 1--------------- DOMESTIC SCIENCE DEPARTMENT. Verna E. Gillen, Instructor. :T1 S J 1 he course called Domestic Science, which is given in 0ur school, is in leality Domestic Economy, which is made up of two parts of Domestic Science and Domestic Art. Iuder Domestic Science is found the study of food and food principles, cooking, physiology, home nursing, chemistry, and household management. Domestic Art includes the study of art needlework, plain sewing, dressmaking, millinery, and textiles. Everything studied in the course is put into actual practice, so that it can be applied in the home. One of the chief aims is to leach the systematizing of work and the economy of materials and time. In cooking especial attention is given to the selection of material as to the qualitv regarding nutrition, the best method of preparation and combination, and Iasi, but very important, the serving. The Snow Drafting System is the one which is used in the sewing department of the school. My the use of this system patterns can be made for all garments, no matter what shape, size or style. I lie system consists of a scroll, by the aid of which all curved lines are perfected; a square, which is used to draw straight lines; a testing scale, to test the patterns after they have been completed; a tracer, to mark the seams: a set of measurements, tape measure, skirt chart, and instruction books. Drafting teaches the proportion and curves of the body; the designing of complicated patterns from foundation patterns and the use of patterns. 1 his work will appeal at once as being practical and the kind which will be used in after life, but it is no more practical than the other work done in this department. I his being the first year of the course, the work from the sixth grade through the two years of the high school must at the best have a sameness, as the foundation must be laid all along the line. I hit after this course has been in operation for a few years and the work which should be done in the sixth and seventh grade is done there, there will be a continued series of work from the sixth grade through the high school which will give the girl an insight into the relations of the home to the world at large, and which can not help but make them intelligent buyers of the necessities of life. Not alone will this course make the girls more intelligent buvers. which certainly is an important thing in the present day. but it will make them able to eliminate many little expenditures, such as the average dressmaking bill, etc. It will also make them see the true importance of the work of the home, and we hope that what is often called the drudgery of the home will be called the calling of the home-maker. Remember that visitors arc always welcome. If you wish to see the work in cooking, you can come either on Monday or Wednesday ; if vou wish to se ihe work in sewing, come on Tuesday or Thursday. If vou wish to see the girls at the work of cleaning up, then Friday is your day.

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THE MICH SCHOOL MIRROR 23 AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT. Jas. C. Mutch, Instructor. ith the advent of a Department of Agriculture into our h'gh school conies the ever present cry of the community, “Is t practical?” This cry is characteristic of the wideawake populace which demands full value for ali expenditures and the best that can he had for the education of its children. It is our purpose to place you, the public of Mondovi and vicinity, in such a posi-t on that you can answer the aforementioned much asked question in the affirmative. A study of the principles of A gr culture has a cultural as well as an intrinsic value. The former may he derived from the courses offered in the curriculum of any well organized high school. Thus it :s evident that the chief function of the course now under cons deration is in the latter, w hich means increasing the interests of school children along such lines as will enable them to produce a slightly better crop, a product a trfle cheaper, or in a measure to eliminate the drudgery of farm work by showing them what a wonderful thing it really is to get from nature all that nature will give. This will reverse the tendency to leave the farm for the glowing light of the city. Two new subjects will be offered at the beginning of the second semester in this department. They are Agricultural Chemistry and Farm Mechanics. These courses will be greatly handicapped because of the lack of equ pment and laboratory space. On this account the work in Chemistry this year must consist mainly in the study and testing of dairy products and the physical examination and testing of soils, rather than to a study of applied chem’strv. The “Farm Mechanics w ill begin with the elements of drafting and lettering, so that the student may understand the approved methods of construction of farm buildings and conveniences from blue print plans. After this road-mak’ng and culvert-construct:on will be gone into. The high school receives the leading agricultural journals, and ha also acquired a number of up-to-date and valuable books on various phases of farm work. These are at the disposal of the patrons of the school as well as for the students. These papers will from now on be kept at the school for one month, when they will lie taken to the city library, where they can be secured at any time. The books can be drawn for a period of two weeks, with the privilege of a renewal for the same time. Conte and makie use of what we have, and if you are interested in the advancing of a good cause, remember that we are always pleased to receive additions to our library. The space allowed this department in the remaining issues of the Mirror will be taken up largely with articles or suggestions for the farmers of this locality. These subjects will deal with questions that are important to all. I (e who grows two blades of grass w here but one grew before is of great value to humanity. Carry this idea into its largest meaning and you will realize the practical value arid greatness of the work we are trying to do. The United States, while it leads in the producFou of wheat, raises much le s per acre than Germany. Tlr’s is not because the land in our country is le --fertile than that of Germany, but because we are not getting all from the land that it will yield. Do you see any relation between the following and the high cost of beef? In 1900 there were 51.000.000 head of cattle in tins country, while the popula tiou was less than 75.000,000; in l')12 there arc 37,000.000 head of cattle, while the population has increased to over ‘K).000.000.