Waukegan High School - Annual W Yearbook (Waukegan, IL)

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Many pleasant places and guides there are, IDho direct and aid on the journey afar.

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In tlie “W” of last year, under the caption of “Quadrangle Towers,” I out¬ lined the educational program under four headings: 1. The Needs of a Growing In¬ dustrial Community; 2. The Three Types of Schools Under the Present Plan of Organization; 3. The Building Plan Made to Conform to Educational Needs ; 4. The Economic Situation to Sustain this Program. The ideal of the “Quadrangle Towers” will lead us on as we grow and build; this year, under the captions of: 1. Our School Today; 2. Our School To-mor¬ row, I wish to give something more in detail concerning the outstanding things in the program as it is being worked out today, and as we hope it will develop in the days to come. I. OUR SCHOOL TODAY (a) Quadrangle Growth. During the year a new unit has been added to the Junior building, and the Vocational unit was started. These units make provision for: a large Art Room to accommodate two groups, one in Drawing and one in Metal Craft; a Biology group of two rooms for recitation and laboratory purposes, and one room for plans; four recitation rooms; an Assembly for Junior Groups; an Auto-Me- chanics Shop; a Mechanical Drawing Room; a Distributing Store-Room; a Print Shop for try-out courses. (b) Curriculum Rebuilding. Curriculum study and readjustment has centered around the idea of making the daily class-hour more efficient. The chief feature of the present practice, is the working out of graded assignment material which can be placed in the hands of students in order to make individualized instruction possible to a larger extent than has hitherto been possible. This is the first step to bring about a reduction in the number of failures in the various courses. At the pres¬ ent time six courses are in the process of being printed in mimeograph form. In these courses the units have been fixed and the graded assignment cards have been prepared. Try-out courses are now in operation in the Elemental Science classes of the Freshman year, and in the first year of Manual Arts. The first steps in formulating the courses of study were taken by having each department determine the objectives, which should obtain in that particular depart¬ ment: the specified objectives for the various courses in the departments were also fixed. The Illinois Objectives for Secondary Education and those of the National Association of Secondary School Principals were used in this work. Every effort is being made to stimulate interest in scholarship, and a high grade of work in shops and laboratories. From time to time a brief ceremony is given to honor those whose records are high. A carnation is given to each student whose name appears on the honor list. An appropriate talk is given at the time to impress the alue of fine Craftsmanship in any kind of work; a word of encouragement is given also to those who find academic work difficult. (c) Citizenship Development. The foundation for this wmrk lies in the gen¬ eral instruction given in the Government Groups, including all of the Junior and Sophomore Classes. This work is given to each group once a week throughout the year. This course is given informally, and is kept abreast of the times. Through home visitation by the Personnel Officer for the schools, as a whole, and by teachers of the Vocational School for that school, the contact with the homes ' is made very effectively. Through these agencies the parents are fully informed Seventeen