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

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SUPERINTENDENT PAUL G. W. KELLER TvJentjJ-five

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(Shtr g’upmntimi ' ii ' ut, iflr. Paul (g. 1?. SCrllrr As the stalwart oaks tow r er above tlie surrounding forest, so do a few per¬ sons in each community loom above the rest, in promoting the civic, educational, and moral w r elfare of the community. One who has watched the growth and advancement of Waukegan during the last four years, realizes that a leading spirit in the accomplishments of things worth while, has been Superintendent Paul G. W. Keller. During the years of his apprenticeship in teaching and mastering the de¬ tails of school organization and administration, Mr. Keller, by careful reading and study along the lines of his profession, has gradually crystallized for him¬ self a working educational philosophy, which has vitalized all of his work. Be¬ lieving that education stands for the higher evolution of both the individual and the race, he has relegated to the proper place in the educational scheme many of the details of administration and instruction, and has not succumbed to the dull fruitless routine so deadening in administrative work. As an educational leader, not only has Mr. Keller received excellent train¬ ing and experience, but he has developed those personal qualities so indispen¬ sable in a leader. He is honest and square; he is possessed of a high sense of personal honor and endowed with a sense of proportion which enables him to see things in their proper relationships. By his large knowledge of the details and processes of school work, gained through years of apprenticeship, by the guiding educational philosophy which he has built up for himself, and with the personal qualities of educational states¬ manship, Mr. Keller has, during his stay in Waukegan, steered a straight course. With an intelligent understanding of the industrial work about him, with broad human sympathies, he has been able to get things done. One may say of Mr. Keller as has been said of another modern educator, he is “one who marks new trails, and has the courage and conviction of mind and heart necessary to main¬ tain his beliefs in new paths.” 1 he progressive educational programs so well started will need time for fruition, but eventually these constructive, forward looking policies will prove of inestimable value, and of far-reaching significance to the community. R. K. M.

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HattkEgan ®muual|tp §rrmt ary rltnnla it possible, ninth grade all of these w assem- n finite institutions. training, and in by ex- of de- ORGANIZATION OF THE SCHOOLS Junior School— A study ot the adolescent period of youth, has led educators to make a rather sharp differentiation in the divisions of the time spent in the elementary and secondary schools. 1 he first break is usually made at the beginning of the seventh grade of the elementary school; the second at the beginning of the tenth grade, or second year high school. This is known as the six-three-three plan of organization. Since the township high school organization in Illinois does not as yet make under the law to include the seventh and eigh t grades of the elementary school, the only lias been organized with the Junior High School objectives in mind. Not have been developed, but the new building units added this year, especially the bly, will make it possible to develop additional objectives. The chief objective developed to date, is that of giving try-out courses in Science Manual Arts. In fact, the try-out method seeks to direct pupils in finding themselves their various traits, and making possible intelligent choices of a special sort which may be found in the Senior High School, ,or in the higher educational Educational and vocational guidance are a part of this program, and are being developed in our school. In this period, students begin to make those basic social ad¬ justments so necessary for a successful life. These are fostered in our Junior School and more definitely developed and fixed in the Senior High School. Senior School— The Senior School, which includes the tenth, eleventh and twelfth years, offers its courses under two major objectives: one looking toward entrance to university courses in law, medi¬ cine, engineering, and the professions in general; the other looking toward business, the shops, trades, and immediate entrance upon life work without university preparation. The univer¬ sity preparatory courses are now fully developed. The courses leading to life work direct, are in process of more complete adjustment. The try-out period of the Junior School enables a student to make a more definite choice concerning his life work. The Senior School enables him to lav more definite foundations for this woik. Educational and vocational guidance in both Junior and Senior schools will eventually be developed more fully. These are essential factors in a modern school. Vocational School— The N ocational School is being organized for the purpose of providing a special type of education, for the young people of ‘this community who cannot continue with regular high school work. Social and economic pressure, desire to earn money, ill health, and dislike for formalized academic work, cause the largest percent of our boys and girls to quit school at an early age. These people have been going into the world with little or no preparation for battling even the common problems of life. The vocational school is intended to con¬ tribute to the productive efficiency and social betterment of this class of future citizens. Waukegan’s vocational school is now in a stage of primary development. At the present time the principal work organized under the vocational classification, is embodied in the eral continuation school—a school for working boys and girls, under seventeen years of who are not attending any other educational institution. Aattendance at this school quired for a minimum time of eight hours per week. The instruction given is genera ' ' Informal class-room work in English, civics, mathematics, science, hygiene, shop and hiinie- makmg is intended to supplement the previous preparation of the individual, and to be a potent factor in building real high grade men and women, instead of specifically trained craftsmen and artisans. I lie study of the individual in his home, his work, his shop and his after-work diversions, furnishes the necessary information for arranging a kind of work which proves particularly valuable to him. This school serves as the “eleventh-hour tunity for that great army of working minors who have taken up the ties of adult life. gen- age, is re¬ in type. economic oppor- responsibili- The future program of the vocational school is planned to include both trade-preparatorv, and trade-extension, as well as general continuation vocational education. The next step in the process of development will be the addition of definite trade units, in the various branches of practical work, which are predominant in the industries of the community Ma¬ chine shop, auto-mechanics, carpentry, printing, etc., as complete trade units, will eventually lie added as important and necessary subjects in the vocational school. Backed by National, State and local laws, the vocational school is taking its place as whole scheme of democratic education. necessary part of the