Sinking Spring High School - Imago Yearbook (Sinking Spring, PA)

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Sinking Spring High School Placed on Accredited List of Secondary Schools in the State Sinking Spring High School received Stale recognition and was placed on the Accredited List of Secondary Schools of Pennsylvania during the past year. To receive this recognition is an honor to any cchool or community. In erder to receive this honor the school must meet all the standards for secondary schools. This includes 100 per cent certificated teachers, properly certified supervising principal, diversified curricula, minimum standard of equipment and apparatus, for science departments and other laboratory subjects, minimum standard for high school libraries, systematic personnel record system, thoroughly organized pre ram of studies, completely developed courses of studies, or curriculum, supervisors in all special subject'. Luch as art. music, and dental hygiene, properly certificated instructors in physical education, and a number of minor items. The local school has met all these standards and received very favorable comment upon the same. Following are copies of letters received from the State and County officials. The first letter is a statement of conditions existing at the time of the dating of the letter. LETTER I. May 17. 1929. Mr. A. F. Kemp Superintendent. Berks County Schools Reading. Pennsylvania Dear Mr. Kemp: This is to report my visit with you to the Sinking Spring Borough High School on May 8. 1929. We are pleased w’ith the general spirit of work in this school and the earnestness of both pupils and teachers in carrying out the school program. A check of the conditions prevailing in the school indicates that development is needed along the following lines: 1. The library facilities provided are inadequate for a school of this type. This inadequacy is in part due to the fact that additional mater-ills are need and also in part to the fact that for satisfactory use a library needs to b? carefully organized and administered. In a small secondary school it has been the practice to convert one of the classrooms into a library classroom. In other schools, where it has been found necessary to temporarily house the library in the various classrooms of the school, a central catalogue has been developed and books charged to the various rooms. 2. The physics equipment destroyed at the time of the fire has never been replaced. I am enclosing a copy of the SCIENCE MONOGRAPH which outlines the minimum physics equipment in a classified secondary school. 3. At the present time no teacher on the staff has certification for geography. This should be given the attention of the district. 4. The school needs maps and other materials so that the geography work can be carried out on a highly satisfactory basis. In this connection geography materials are also needed for th? library: 5. The teachers in the first six grades are providing art instruction for those grades. There is no definitely organized art program for grades seven and eight. I am enclosing a copy of a statement outlining a minimum art program. The art work of this school can best be carried out if the district can join with other districts in providing art supervision and teaching. C. There is an increasing demand for more complete and accurate personnel records, particularly in the secondary school. Whereas, in previous years it has oniy been necessary to have the scholastic records of the pupil, colleges now demand a complete personnel record. A record '•imi iar to that used in the Carnegie Study is being found very helpful in the various secondary schools. Copies of this record can be secured by writing to Doctor W. S. Learned. Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Education. New York City. 7. A soon ns the district finds it possible to do so. practical arts for both boys and girls should b? added to the program. 8. Tj meet the full requirements for Junior-Senior high school organization this school should have a program of practical arts as is suggested above. In developing this program, an additional teacher or the time of part-time teachers should be provided. As the school is organized at present the principal is carrying a rather heavy teaching load. Sincerely yours. William H. Bristow Assistant Director Secondary Education August 20. 1931 Subsequent letters give record of improvements and approvals. Mr. Alvin F. Kemp Superintendent. Berks County Schools Reading, Pennsylvania Dear Superintendent Kemp: This is to report my conference with Assistant Superintendent Strieker and Mr. Sowers. Supervising Principal at Sinking Spring, relative to the development of the program for the coming year. We are very much pleased with the set up as outlined by Mr. Sowers. For the coming year the school will meet full requirements in health and physical education, practical arts, fine arts, and guidance. It is unfortunate, of course, that a certificated teacher could not be found for the work in shop, but it is believed that this problem can be satisfactorily adjusted so that the work may be In charge of a certified teacher before the term 1932-33. V e are particularly gratified to note the development with regard to the library. Mr. Sowers reports that the library will aggregate the 1000 volumes for the coming year and that library instruction will be given to all pupils under the direction of the English teacher who has certification in this field. Commercial werk is also being introduced for the first time this year. Will you please convey to the Board our appreciation for the splendid progress which their school is making, and assure then of our desire to co-operate in every way that we can? Very truly yours. John F. Brougher Assistant Director Secondary Education

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Statement of Sinking Spring High School Activities Since the Board of Education has placed all school activities and the funds derived therefrom in the hands of the Principal. I wish to make this financial statement public to account for the source of revenue and the expenditures. RECEIPTS Balance on hand in bank. December 4. 1931 .....................................................$ 31.70 Receipts from Basketball (a Genera] admission ................ —................. —............ $366.90 tb» Guarantees ............!................................................... 4800 «c Other Sources 14.10 $429.60 Receipts from School Activities (a Elementary Grade Operetta ......................................... $ 1488 ib) Washington Program — 26-15 (c) Washington Motion Pictures 14.65 id) Musicale 2.10 e) Stephen Haboush Commission 22.70 $90.48 Grand Total of Receipts -....... $551.78 EXFENTMTI’RES Basketball 1 a) b) (c d) ie (f) th) Referees Guarantees Transportation Equipment Ointment P. I. A. A. Dues Awards (Gold Basketballs) Treat for teams .......—.... $ 74 .50 76.00 24.00 156.87 ....... .60 3.00 ......... 20.00 3.45 «t Du Paul Sallade Account of James Muir 'Motion Picture Projector) Fred Medan Co. (Basketball Backstops) Hangens (Set of Traps Tor Orchestra) ........................................................ Transportation to KuUtown Field Day ................................. $358 42 $ 14.00 ........... 4.00 ........ 1.00 31 .......... 25.00 89.92 42.00 ........... 4.00 Grand Total of Expcnt' ures ......................................... $538 65 Total Receipts from December 4. 1931 to May 7, 1932 $551.78 Total Expenditures for same period .......................................................... 538.65 Balance in Checking Account, May 27. 1932 $ 13.13 Signed: Harry E. Sowers Supervising Principal

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Reading. Pa.. October 8. 1931 Mr. Bert Reifsnyder Sinking Spring. Penna. Dear Friend Reifsnyder: REPORT OF SCHOOL VISITATION I visited your school on September 29. and desire to make the following report on my inspect.on. I was very favorably impressed with your school system. You erected a fine new addition to your building and your new organization is functioning effectively. As a board you deserve credit for taking the progressive steps in providing additional opportunities for your children. All your teachers are doing work, and there exists a fine spirit of co-operation among them. The next important step to take in the development of your system will be the preparation of a plan of co-ordination of the work in each field. I understand that your supervising principal and the teachers are now working on the same. After this is accomplished. you have an opportunity to develop an outstanding school system. There remain a few additional steps of development in the High School. These, you will, no doubt accomplish as fast as finances permit. Sinking Spring has taken a decided step forward educationally. Let me know whenever I can be of service to you. Very respectfully. A. F. Kemp. County Supt. of Schools SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS SECONDARY SCHOOL CLASSIFICATION Sinking Spring Borough Berks County Visited October 20. 1931 Reported October 27, 1931 Walter E. Hess The following Is a summary of the recommendations which ore made as a result of a visit by a representative of the Department, for the development of the Sinking Spring High School. In the pages following this summary will be found a more detailed statement relative to these recommendations and suggestions. which are made in accordance with the classification standards. I. Building and Grounds. The district is to be complimented upon their v activity in providing a school plant for the instructional needs of the community. With these facilities now at hand, efficient and effective school work can be done. A school building properly equipped, supervised and administered is one of the most valuable assets to a community. II. Equipment and Supplies. Tile equipment and supplies for the school have been very carefully and adequately provided. Additions of a ditto machine fo. teachers use in preparing outlines for the subjects they teach and cork bulletin boards for the rooms not already provided with them are two needs that, snould be supplied this year. The expenditure of $200.00 for science equip- ment and $450.00 for library books, etc. speaks very highly of the efforts and interests of the board of education In the welfare of the school. III. Program of Studies A very fine program of studies and class schedules have been worked out by the persons in charge. The fact that provision has been made to offer all subjects in the required Junior-senior high school curriculum is indicative of the efficiency of the supervisory and teaching staff. V. Supervision and Instruction. The supervisor)’ program and administrative practices as outlined by the principal are very commendable. Very creditable w'ork should be expected as a result of the operation of this program. The teachers visited presented demonstrations of very good classroom instruction. Some suggestions, such as additional pupil participation in the recitation. economical use of class time, diagnostic and remedial work and pupil guidance, were given the principal at the time of the visit. The employment of a certificated librarian is very commendable. VI. Teachers. B. Certification. The securing of a certificated teacher in shop would be an adjustment to make in the future. A part time teacher hired in conjunction with some other district might be secured. VIII. Pupil Load. The requirement of each pupil taking only four solid subjects each year is indeed a fine standard to adopt. These in connection with the special subjects will permit the pupil to concentrate on a few' subjects and thus become more proficient. The devoting of time to a few subjects will produce better results then using the same time over a great variety of subjects. IX. Records and Reports. A satisfactory system of records and reports are being developed. Walter E. Hess Supervisor Secondary Education Public Schools of Berks Countv, Pa. Office of County Superintendent Reading. Pa.. March 5. 1932. To Those Concerned:— This is to certify that I visited the Schools of Sinking Spring and found them in excellent condition. Superintendent Principal Harry E. Sowers deserves special commendation for being instrumental in building up a school system that ranks among the best in the county. Sinking Spring has a progressive Board of Education. Do not fail to keep the educational clock wound up. I am proud of Sinking Spring. Very' respectfully William A. Fricker. Asst. Superintendent