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Show Tiie Alpine School District Problem (This art U-Us was written lliroii(li the co-operation of Mrs. Mablel M. .V1;oii, Primary Supervisor and U: Hanson, Grammar Grade and Junior School Supervisor.) "Necessity is the mother of invention. " So tin: Alpine School District i'oiirnl it- necessary to make some adjustment in its system if hoys and girls in the first, second, sevcnlh and eighth grades were lo receive an equal educational opportunity with boys and girls of other districts. We did not have the money to build separate Junior High School units as other districts have done and with the seventh and eighth grades in the elementary units the first and second could not be given the ad vantages f full day session. Through a survey it was found that the Senior High School laboratories were used but one half of the day and the Junior High School boys and girls were given the use of these laboratories for this unused portion. To do this it was neeessary to transport the seventh ami eighth grades to the centrally established high schools. This has been accomplished with the excep tion of Alpine and it is hoped they will see the need SOOn. thus. Rapid adjustments mut be made in school affairs if pd.ee is to be kept with the rapidly changing conditions condi-tions of today. Frequent conferences between the supervisors and instructors in the various departments result in a better understanding as to materials, methods and objectives. At these' group meetings all problems pertain- j ing to the various sections or departments depart-ments are discussed and by means of this, a much closer co-operation exists than was formerly possible. -Modern methods of instruction tell us that testing is just as necessary as teaching. In other words there mu.-:t be some testing program in evidence if we are to know what to teach and what haS been taught. Here in Alpine District a rather complete system of achievement testing or measuring has been developed. These tests are given at intervals during the year and serve as indicators of progress being made. They are the teachers' diagnosis of the needs of the various pupils. By means' of these teets each pupil can note his own progress or lack of progress, pro-gress, and make the necessary adjustments. ad-justments. There is a social experience being gained this year by the Junior boy and girl which has not been possible heretofore. Have social conditons, customs, and attitudes, changed during dur-ing the last decade or two? Obviously Obvious-ly it would be hard to conceive of more radical changes being made than those now in transition. The 7th and 8th grade pupil mufit adjust to these changes and an attempt is being made to instruct them in matters mat-ters of health, art, science attitudes and ideals so that proper adjustments are achieved. The Senior High School principals are to be commended upon their attitude atti-tude toward the Junior High program. There is an interwoven relationship made possible only through the co-operation and interest of these principals. The faculties of the Senior High Schools have been called upon to make, no doubt, the greatest readjustment re-adjustment of all. The success of their efforts is evidenced by the favorable reports from our State supervisors. Never before has such a splendid attitude of co-operation and mutual understanding existed between Senior and Junior High groups of teachers and pupils as we now have. There are still problems of method, organization, subject-matter, and technique tech-nique generally but our efforts are meeting with, a measure of success and we are hopeful of the future. We are happy to report that numerous numer-ous delegations of visiting teachers from various sections of the state have visited with us this year. Thfe is a distinct compliment to us, but, in a sense, it also carries a great re- JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS At the beginning of school a year -ago, there were approximately 800 pupils in the seventh and eighth grades. At that time nearly 700 of these .pupils were grouped into four major units. These we designated as Junior High Schools. The units are located in Lehl, American Fork, Pleasant Grove, and on Provo bench. This year the seventh and eighth grade pupils from two more schools were transferred to one of the Junior High School uniLs. At present in Alpine District there are but two small groups of Junior High School pupils who are not regularly receiving receiv-ing Instruction in one or the other of our four Junior High units. It has been the custom in most school districts to build separate structures for Junior and Senior High Schools. We feel that this practice entails an unnecessary expense. To illustrate; with separate and district units there must be two complete Domestic Science departments, Physical Education departments, Agriculture Agri-culture department, Mannual Arts departments, Typewriting departments depart-ments and so on. The equipment necessary for these laboratories is ex pensive. Our organization here has permitted per-mitted us to use all of the above mentioned men-tioned departments, equipment, and instructors for both Junior and Senior High School students. In other words, your pupil in the seventh grade ie being be-ing given a course fully as rich in experience ex-perience and contact as i3 your pupil In the Senior High School. Our shops, typewriting rooms, the gymnasium, gym-nasium, the domestic arts departments, etc., are being used to their capacity. This, we feel, is a step in the right direction. A step towards greater efficiency and economy. It may be of interest to the school patrons if our Junior High School program were discussed dis-cussed somewhat. We feel that perhaps a greater variety of subjects is being given in the Alpine District (Junior High Schools) than in most districts in the state. The list of subjects includes the following: English, geography, science, art, domestic science, shop, health, mathmatics, history, music, with of course reading, writing and spelling being given and checked upon in all subjects. Compare this list with the typical course offered a few years ago. There is a vast change occurring here. And it should bfc sponsibility. A responsibility to " work even harder and organize even more efficiently so that our Junior High School may justify the favorable comment which they are receiving. (Continued on another page) With' the new adjustment it has made room for full day sessions in some iparts of. the district for tho first and second grades and we are hoping that more schools will receive this benefit in the near future. We are proud of our Primary and Grammar grade work as well as the High schools, the teachers being always al-ways willing to work over time to stimulate the boys and girls to greater great-er activity. Thanksgiving, Christmas Hallowe'en, poultry, sugar beet, four mining, fruit, farm, Utah industries, Utah county produce, map, library, dairying, store, Best Breakfast Unit, care of a doll, playhouses, home, food, modern home, transportation, pioneer, steel, health, picture show, band, Japanese, nature, fair, pets, gift booklet, picture study, bear, and beautifying the room, activities have I been worked out by the Primary teachers to help stimulate the interest inter-est of the boys and girls. I wish there was space enough to explain each activity in detail but this is how it worked in one of the health activities. Milk was brought into the school for the purpose of giving it to the children. Weights of the children were taken at the begin-ing begin-ing of the year and will be taken later again. The products of milk I and the value in the diet were dis-; dis-; ' cussed. Proper care of milk as to ! cleanliness and why we should be ; ; especially clean with milk were dis-' dis-' j cussed in their relationship to health. ; Each activity had its special objective ' only a few of which are mentioned: j ! ' as, the Band activity was to aid in 1 ; the development of rythm; the pic-j ! ture show the development of great- ; er interest in reading and language ' find free hand cutting; the home ac- z ' tivity gave an opportunity for the j ! establishment of desirable social hab- ! its and courtesies with a closer ob-2 ob-2 1 servation and appreciation of our s : homes. It might be said that these i ! activities in the main are for the ' purpose of stimulating interest and I something to read about common to " the lives of the children. |