Swatara High School - Yearbook (Oberlin, PA)

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Ig., . fs., M 4: ' ox Q' A W i kb-20 To Our Voters In endeavoring to bring to your mind the opportunities you have created for us it will be necessary to go back over one hundred and thirty-three years, at the time when the community church and school were started. In 1791 the people of the community saw fit to establish a community church which organized a school maintained by subscriptions from the pupils. Probably the church services and school were carried on in the same building for several years. In the year 1793 the community deemed it necessary and a separate building for educational purposes was built. This building was constructed of logs. Later when necessity demanded the building was weather boarded. For seventy-five years this building served as the communitie's only place of education. In 1868 the school was moved to its present site, when a two room frame building was erected. In 1882 a building comprising of four rooms of the present building, replaced the frame building. The present buildingq was enlarged in 1907 by adding two rooms to the four room brick building. Thus far we have been considering only the schools of Oberlin, but we must give credit to the township as a whole, for the spirit showng in the fur- therance of education. During the time from 1791 to 1926, six buildings were built at different places throughout the township. Now we are engaged in the greatest and most beneficial Work which the people of Swatara Township have ever attempted, but this' fete would have been impossible without your support. This work of which we are concerned is the erection of the New Junior- Senior High School. This building will relieve the congestion of the schools of the township. It is for all the opportunities which you have made possible for us, and especially for this last and greatest step, that we, the pupils, express our sincere thanks. Christian Ebersole A , W W mm 1. 1- QF V it NN we if M are cw' sf

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. . fffxlb-w',gaQ' . A MM -..ee - ff ., W rd J' do Proposed Plans For The Schools Of Swatara Township School buildings are erected and schools systems are established for the development of the boys and the girls to a fuller life now, and to. prepare them in such a way that they may be equipped to efficiently take up the responsibilities of life. At the outset in making plans for a school system, the welfare of the boys and the girls must then be kept uppermost in mind. Among the factors to be considered are first the! ideas and ideals of modern education and the general trend in which the most successful development has taken place. In the second place the plansr must be developed so that the greatest amount of education is made possible in the most economic manner, and so that the total expenditure in executing the plans will remain within the financial possibilities of the school district. Educators have for years realized the existence of a wide gap between the elementary schools and the high schools and have therefore attempted to bridge this gap and quite successfully so, by the organization of the junior' high school in which there is a gradual adjustment from the elementary school to the high school, and in which exploratory courses are offered to help pupils to' find them- selves as to their aptitudes and abilities. In the smaller districts a more economic type of school is the 6-6 plan of organization. In this plan there are six years of elementary school and six years of high school. The latter is a combination of junior and they senior high school when both are housed in the same building and comprise a single administrational and instructional organization. It is this type of organization that is being planned for Swatara Township. For the coming year the plans are to change from the 8-4 plan to a 6-2-4 plan and then gradually into the 6-6 plan. The seventh and the eighth grades will be in the new building and will have the advantage of departmental work in all subjects and will be promoted by subject rather than by grades as heretofore. The program of studies and curriculum will be changed only slightly so that the transition from what we now have to the re-organized curriculum, which is inherent in junior-senior type of school, will be gradual and economic. The seventh and eighth grades will occupy one wing of the building and the senior high school will occupy the! other wing and the combined grades will use the auditorium, gymnasium, science equipment and cafeteria. For the senior high school therew will be two main courses. The first will be an academic course which will give pupils a general equipment for entrance into life's duties, and also a definite preparation for entrance into normal schools and colleges. The second is a commercial course which aims to prepare pupils for positions in bookkeeping, stenography, and general office work, as well as to prepare them for the common duties of citizenship in the communities in which it may be their lot to live. For graduation, sixteen credits will be required in each of the courses. Stu- dents are and will, however, be admonished to take more Work whenever that is possible. Plans are being made for al more definite program of health and physical education. It is hoped to have a greater number of intra-mural athletic acti- vities by the organization of teams within the school, and all extra-curricular activities will be definitely provided for in the schedule. In general it is the aim of the school to offer the type of work that will be of greatest value to the greatest number of pupils and will help all of them to more adequately take their places in the community life now and in future years. john E. Shetk H 1 d 53' ffiifm ? ,fli'f.f 'fj M igiiwwf 2-Q Qi Eight