Wells River High School - Chatterbox Yearbook (Wells River, VT)

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30 THE CHATTERBOX the moral tone of an institution, it makes competition more keen, and it raises the standard of scholarship. This system has be- come firmly established in the United States. But education has not reached its ideal goal, for an ideal is beyond reach, and as our world and our thoughts progress, so our ideal advances. The world of knowledge demands “a system of education that will train the young people to be strong, and above all, righteous men and women.” During the past four years we have striven to reach our ideals and to do our best for our school; now as members of the graduating class, we wish to thank everyone for the help and support received during our school years; and to you all—school- mates, teachers, supervisor, school board, parents and friends, we say. “Farewell.” SARAH MARTIN. VALEDICTORY

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THE CHATTERBOX 29 However, before this it was not always a case of the blind lead- ing the blind, for many were natural born teachers, while others, although fully acquainted with their subjects, were not qualified to impart their knowledge to younger people. The course pre- pared for teaching teachers to teach, marked the great forward stride in education. The United States in its infancy had to cope with new and difficult problems. The energy of the early colonists was devoted, not along scholastic lines but in the development of courage and initiative,—characteristics which are known the world over as truly belonging to Americans. Later, after schools were formed, those very traits formed the basis of American ed- ucation. They have afforded historians the material for those thrilling stories of colonial struggles and the rise of our country to its present place in the world. Educational institutions in America received their great- est support in the New England States and Middle West until after the Civil War. Illiteracy in all sections has been decreased since that time. The method of instruction throughout the United States is universally the same. There are three classes or divisions in the first eight grades of school; the primary, the intermediate or grammar school, and the junior high consisting of the seventh and eighth grades; next are the high schools and academies. The colleges train one for a profession while the normal schools give a teacher the training for her vocation. The three debatable questions in our educational system at the present time are; Compulsory education, the maintenance of separate schools for foreign born and those of white parent- age and and coeducation. Compulsory education has found favor in Europe as well as in the United States. Good results are constantly seen by the adoption of this method. This system has been adopted throughout the states and is now a law. Should separate schools be maintained for foreign born and for white children? As an answer to this question it has been found that there is higher efficiency by mingling them. Time has proved the value of Coeducation. It elevates

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THE CHATTERBOX 31 3nk?fl Chet: “You’ve got one habit I’d like to break you of.” Wolf: “What’s that?” Chet: Breathing.” Sarah: “My horse. Billy, slobbers. How can I break him of the habit?” Vet. (Thomas): “Teach him to spit.” “Army Daze” “Why did John name his son ‘Weather Strip?’ ” “Because he kept Daddy out of the draft.” Sam: “De moon am on it’s last quarter now.” Rastus: “Dat’s nothin’. I’ve got just two bits myself.” Heavy-weight: “I’ve got to reduce. The doctor recom- mends horse-back riding.” Light-weight: “Is it satisfactory?” Heavy-weight: “Not exactly. I’m not loosing weight, but I’m continually falling off.” Darling: “How did you get through the exams?” Rogers: “Not so well. They even had the nerve to ask me things that happened before I was born.” Pud: “What did the doctor say when the patient died of St. Vitis Dance?” Pat: “I give up.” Pud: “The jig is up.” John: “Where I live it is so quiet you can hear a pin drop.” Jack: You don’t say so!” John: “Yes, we live over the bowling alley.”