Sauk City High School - Sauk Log Yearbook (Sauk City, WI)

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wmv r A ] A (TO ifml i b VAJ LA cation is fundamental and sometimes final, no public school system can flourish whose grades are not satisfactory. We believe that Sauk City’s grades have live, alert pupils. We are convinced that the force of grade teachers is of the very best. Our eqipment is quite adequate, and it will be reasonably complete within an- other year. The grade course of study in our school is the state graded course of Wisconsin, selected because it is made up by the best educators in the state — men and women who made a life study of the problems of education and because we think it fits our needs. We offer German as an elective in the fifth, sixth and seventh grades, because this is a German speaking community, and because the period of childhood is the natural time to acquire a language. As for methods, we have said enough when we have mentioned the quality of our grade teachers. Departmental work, in so far as our force is adequate, is being carried out; and what- ever method will be of benefit to our grade pupils, we are glad to employ, whether the method be old or new. In brief, we believe that we have secured the five essentials for success in our grades and that the work our grades are doing, justifies our faith in those fundamentals. High School It shall be our purpose to tell how Sauk City has secured a successful high school. It is obvious that our high school, to hold its own, must be a success; for in a neighboring town, one mile distant, is another high school, which for years had a large enroll- ment. One can see that a policy which brings us success must be both sane and sure. We have all the afore mentioned essentials for a successful high school. First, we have, on the whole, as clean, as bright, and as moral student body as can be found in any high school big or little. The second important element, the teachers, likewise compare favorably with the best. “ A tree is known by its fruits ”, is the principle which guided in the selection of our teachers, and so satis- factory is the result, that every one of the six high school teachers is retained upon the faculty at salaries few' towns of this size pay. The third element, that of equipment, can not be overestimated in its relation to the success of our high school. We have one of the most modern and most adequate buildings of any town of this size

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Essentials in Relation to Sauk City Schools. It is our opinion that any institution founded and run upon correct basic and fundamental principles is sure to be a special success. It would seem that this simple formula would insure the success of most institutions, for persons in charge would surely understand and agree to it. Yet some institutions fail and some are only partial successes. Notwithstanding this fact, we believe that the formula for institutional success mentioned in our open- ing sentence is true;and that the reason for the failure on the part of some is that those in charge are either unable to realize, or some- how have not succeeded in determining, just what constitutes the basic principles of the institution. Our faith in the above formula is such that we have attempted to follow it in the Sauk City Schools. If success so much depends upon fundamentals of an institu- tion, we must first determine just what constitutes the foundation of a successful school. We believe that the following make up the most essential requirements for such a school system: 1. Healthy, sturdy, alert pupils representing the en- tire community. 2. Strong, capable, conscientious, and adequately pre- pared teachers. 3. Proper equipment, including building, play grounds, books, desks, etc. 4. Best course of study to be had for that particular school. 5. Proper methods and proper administration in the following of the course. Grades While this article concerns the high school primarily, we will discuss briefly the work of our grades. Since a considerable portion of our students must come from the grades, and since grade edu-

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ml KALE VA LA pra JEjncvu in Wisconsin. There can be no question as to the furniture, appar- atus, etc., which is the best available. Thanks to someone, whose name at this writing has not been revealed, we shall have, by the beginning of next year, a school ground, equipped completely with play-ground apparatus, running track, and athletic field, and beaut- fied with shrubbery etc. as planned by A. C. Clas, who has few peers in landscape architecture. Our course of Study, worked out in conjunction with the State Department of Education, includes regular English and German Courses and special courses in Manual Training, Domestic Science, Commerce, and Agriculture. Since our faculty was selected and retained on the basis of what they can do, it is hardly necessary to comment upon methods and administra- tion. In the beginning of this article, we stated w'hat we believe to be fundamental for a successful school. With the cooperation of the school board and citizens of this community, we have secured all those essentials. Our faith in those essentials may be justified by reading the following outline of the achievments of this school within the last year: 1. The construction of a new high school building, the equipment of the same, and the landscaping and equip- ping of grounds, at a cost of $35,000. 2. An increase of 54't in the high school enrollment. 3. The adoption of a Course of Study comparable to the best in the state. 4. An increase of 50% in the faculty. 5. Addition of three special courses and the special instruction of adults. 6. Recognition of exceptional work by the University of Wisconsin.