Valparaiso High School - Valenian Yearbook (Valparaiso, IN)

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COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT. HE Commercial department of the Valparaiso High School consists of three divisions, Phonography, Typewriting, and Bookkeeping. The system used for Phonography is that of Isaac Pit- man, an Englishman, who invented and published it in 1837. Iu the past half century this art has entered the field of business and revolutionized the whole method of business correspondence. This branch consists entirely of the practice of business forms, general office and practical work, reading printed phonography and speed dictation. One who takes a thorough course in this subject will, at the same time, acquire a considerable knowledge of English. Such a course will en- courage close attention, and will compel prompt decision and instant action. These are elements of the highest educational value. Phonog- raphy is very helpful even in private use and with sufficient study is easily mastered. The touch system is the method used in Typewriting and it is con- sidered the best system along that line, as it enables one to write much faster, keeping his eyes upon his notes while transcribin g them upon the machine. The students are taught the mechanical parts of the machine, which is essential to every stenographer. Accuracy first, and then speed are the two important factors of Typewriting. It includes the copying of legal forms, letters, envelope addressing, and tabulating work. Dictation is given personally to each pupil, enabling him to write from forty to sixty words a minute. Typewriting is the most practical thing in the whole field of education and it is growing more in demand every day. The course in Bookkeeping is, perhaps, less extensive than the others, but is such as to give the student the knowledge of accounting, besides the practice of keeping a systematic record of business trans- actions, and the state of the business in which they occur. The teacher, Miss Young, has had extensive business experience, and is therefore especially competent to have charge of this department. LIIISE ROESSLER, —

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HISTORY. NE of the most important subjects taught in any school is that of History. In the Valparaiso High School this subject is taught by a very competent and efficient teacher, Miss Min- nie McIntyre. History as it is taught in this school is divided into three periods and requires four terms of work. The first age is the Ancient Age and two terms are needed for the study of this age. Only one term each is needed for the study of the Mediaeval and Modern Ages. Ancient History is the study of the beginning, growth and decline of the great civilizations of antiquity. These civilizations are namely, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Syria, Greece and Rome. The Mediaeval age commences with the downfall of the old Empire in the fifth century and the age is marked by the individualism of the German modified by the Roman, which makes an age of stormy and conflicting ideas. Out of this age grows the Modern age which rests politically upon a combination of the German and Roman principles. This is an outline of the work covered in the tw r o years, but of course the history of different countries is studied in detail, within these wide boundaries. Along with the study of the text-book, however, the pupil gets a good idea of the history which is being made at the present time, for one day a -week is given for the specializing along lines of social, eco- nomic, political and constitutional fields and also in those of art, liter- ature and science because as history grows in complexity the increasing importance of these special fields is recognized. BLANC T1 E W I L 1 A A MSON. ENGLISH HISTORY. 1NGLISH -Hjstory, a subject of interest and importance, was added to the Scientific course this year. Seniors in the Latin course are also eligible and the fourth year people compose almost half of the class. The work, which is under the direc- tion of Miss Beck, goes hand in hand with the work in the English department, and thus while the student is gaining a thorough knowledge of the history of England, he is also laying a firmer founda- tion for the study of the English language and literature. By the addition of this study there are now six history classes daily; four in Ancient and Modern History, and one in American, and it is possible that sometime there will be a regular History course in the work of the High School. WILLIAM JONES.

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DOMESTIC ART. INCE the use of the needle is one of woman’s finest arts, a Domestic Art Department was installed in the Valparaiso public schools in September, 1907, and has continued to flour- ish under the able direction of Miss Mae McKinnis. The work is systematically arranged. Mat weaving, knitting, braiding raffia, and hemstiching are taught in the primary grades. The next three grades design and weave baskets, crochet, do drawn- work and make aprons. When the seventh and eighth grades are reached, sewing machine work is introduced and undergarments are made from patterns drafted by the pupils in class. During the high school course the art reaches a higher standard and art needle work and leather work is executed. It is here also that the work of the amateur modiste begins, for all sorts of garments are made from the modern sale patterns. Periods of forty minutes per week are devoted to Domestic Art by the first five grades; but the time is doubled in the seventh and eighth grades and high school. This department is one of the most beneficial in the public schools, a statement which is proved by the attitude of the pupils and the results of their labors. A M A N 1 A G R UENERT.