Prairie Du Sac High School - Prairie Pride Yearbook (Prairie Du Sac, WI)

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PRAIRIE CHIEF I 134 1134 Until 1895 the school offered but a single course, known as the English and General Science course. In 1893 the course was changed from a three year to a four year course and German added to the curriculum to be followed by a Latin course in 1900. The first assistant high school teacher was provided for in 1893, the second in 1900, and the third in 1905. Those were the days of strictly book work. Extra-cur- ricular activities and vocational courses had little place in school life. Pupils were not admitted to the building before 8:30 in the morning, before 1:00 at noon, or permitted to remain after 4:30 in the afternoon. Various changes in administration have taken place in the past twenty years. The building is now open at 7:30 in the morning and on many occasions is not closed until 10:30 in the evening. One hundred thirty pupils, nearly all of whom live out- side the district, eat their noon lunch in the building. It must mot be supposed that because the day is longer it is necessarily harder for the teachers. The force has more than doubled and the work is so apportioned that no one is unduly burdened. For the real teacher the longest day is always too short, while for the make-believe teacher the shortest day is always too long. Recent years have witnessed many changes in tne cur- riculum. Extra-curricular activities have greatly increased and now include football, baseball, track, basketball, various play- ground games, declamatory, oratorical, stock and grain judging contests, literary programs, dramas, operettas, glee clubs,or- chestra, band, athletic and musical tournaments, school parties, parent-teachers association and various other activities which add to the interest and complexity of school life. Although much of the old time academic work has been retained, it is now sup- plemented largely by vocational courses, music and physical edu- cation. Courses in business, agriculture, and home economics occupy an important place. The old time recess has long since disappeared. In its place every pupil is given forty minutes daily of physical education under supervision,unless excused for some apparently good reason. 9

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1936 PRAIRIE CHIEF 1936 SCHOOL HISTORY The first school in Prairie du Sac was organized in 1843. It was a private one conducted in his home by a kindly old Scotchman, Quentin Smith. Prairie du Sac was at that time the county seat of Sauk County, but in 1846 the seat of govern- ment was moved to Baraboo. The village purchased the court house and converted it into the first public school in the vil- lage. In 1856 this building was sold for one hundred dollars and moved from the present school grounds to make room for a stone building which cost the then large sum of twelve hundred dollars. This building served until 1891, when it was torn down to be replaced by the present grade building, costing ten thou- sand dollars. In 1863 a group of progressive citizens felt that more provision should be made for advanced pupils than the elementary school afforded. A stock company was formed and an academy built just south of the Presbyterian Church. It opened for pupils in 1864, succeeded well for several years, but closed in 1871. The district purchased the building and moved it to the north side of the present school grounds where it served as a grade school until 1893. It was then sold for two hundred dol- lars and moved to the west side of Water Street. It now serves there as a hardware store. The year 1887 was an important one in local school history for it was in that year that the high school department was organized. For four years the course was administered by one teacher in a single room of the old stone building. The present grade building, completed in 1893, housed both the high school and grades until 1915. Following a strenuous campaign in the Spring of 1914 the district voted to erect a high school building on the north- west corner of Marion Park. School opened in the new building in September 1915. In 1924 this iructure was enlarged to near- ly twice its former capacity. A spacious auditorium and gymna- sium was added five years later. It was dedicated on October 11, 1929. A capacity audience of fourteen hundred attended the dedication exercises. The present high school plant, representing a cost of approximately one hundred forty thousand dollars, is one of the best to be found in any small community in Wisconsin. Q

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 PRAIRIE CHIEF I 934 In 1920 the high school was reorganized on the six- six” plan. The Seventh and Eighth grades are now a part of the high school group. This gives the upper elementary grades an opportunity to get a wider variety of training and has at the same time simplified the problems of both teachers and pupils in the elementary school. High school enrollment has more than doubled over a twenty five year period, while the number of tuition pupils has more than tripled. Tuition has increased in the same period from five hundred dollars to more than seven thousand dollars for the present year. The equipment of the school plant, both indoors and out,is adequate to the needs of the school. The science, ag- riculture and home economics departments are unusually well sup- plied with apparatus for these courses. The library, which form- erly occupied an alcove in the assembly room, now occupies a large room well supplied with books and periodicals, and having a seating capacity for forty pupils. In the auditorium a large stage with special lighting serves exceptionally well for dramatic and musical productions. Kitchen and dining room equip- ment is ample for serving two hundred at a time for school and community banquets. The physical education department has at command two gymnasiums, so the classes for both boys and girls may be held at the same time. The larger gymnasium is outstand- ing for its plan and equipment. Level, well sodded grounds,— ample in size, make an ideal setting for baseball, football, tennis and other outdoor sports and games. At the present time, 1936, an outdoor swimming pool, 55’ x 120' with a bath house 90’ long, modern in every respect, is being constructed on the school grounds west of the building. In time the lot south of the swimming pool will be developed into an athletic field for football, baseball, track and other sports. A lighting system will probably be included so that all school contests may be played at night. In this way athletic contests will not interfere with the day time school program. For the past twenty years the school has enjoyed a favorable tax situation through the location of a large in- dustrial plant within the boundaries of the district. This has made it possible to secure needed funds without an undue burden of taxation on anyone. The voters have shown initiative and intelligence in taking advantage of this situation to build and equip a school plant which satisfactorily meets the needs and is at the same time a credit to the community. The last indebted- ness on the building was paid last February. 10