Gilpin observer., 1909-05-27
SCHOOL NOTES.

The annual junior receptlOn VIII
be held at the home Of Mrs. A. Camp
bell, Friday evening, May %.
Miss Vera Hicks graduates this
week from the Bisbee, Arizona high
SCHOOL Vern was a member Of the
Central class of 1909 and her many
friends in Central will be glad to
ilSnow that she has continued her
school work successfully in her new
home.
An interesting ball game was play
eed Saturday between the Central
and Black Hawk grades.
A return game will be played on
the Black Hawk grounds Saturday
afternoon.
The High School Congress is TAX
ing charge of the school stereopticon
entertainments. The first lecture Is
descriptive of over seventy views IL
l.straIsing the history and present
progress of the Panama canal.
Commercial courses are establish
ed in a majority of the high schools
in Colorado. They vary in length
from one to four years. and also dit-
fer very much In purpose and In ef-
ficielacy. In few schools rev
months of book keeping or short
course in stenography cater to a pub
lie demand which is ignorant OF the
Hsyuirements of business and Ill in
formed as to the value of these stud
les. They prepare no one for any
real service in the business world.
In other schools work enough Is Of
fe-ed to make a thorough course but
1t is arranged without regard to the
general education of the student. NO
business man has place for ste-
nographeH whose sole training mas
been limited to a course in shorthand
and typewriting. A stenographer who
cannot spell, who cannot use good
English. who is not fairly well In
formed can not give satisfactory ser
vice to anyone. Such schools come
in for a large amount OF deserved
criticism when the time comes Tor
their graduates to make good. 1t can
be held responsible for laying broad
and capable preparation which Will
be useful in any occupation and
which will in the specific employ
ments named qualify the student to
enter upon business practice very
much better equipped for successful
work than he would be on complet-
ing the course of the average busi-
ness college, This has been the ex-
perience of the schools that have de-
manded adequate preparation before
students are admitted to the work OF
ehe business course and that have
placed the high value on the auxiliary
studies that give breadth to this
training. Superintendent Treat of the
Trinidad schools says OF the course
offered in typewriting and steno-
graphy in the Trinidad high school,
.'these subjects are very difficult II
thoroughly mastered. In order that
they may be thus mastered, they are
placed late in the course at time
" ucu Tie Pupli hfso ehoAcueH '"'"
ing in History. Mathematics. English,
,etc; at time Also when the pupil
has higher appreciation of the va
lue of an education and knows how
to apply himself 1t is useless for a
pupil to take up either stenosraphy
or typewriting unless there is some
experience and careful training to
build upon. Pupils from the ninth
and tenth grades can rarely pursue
these branches and make a success
of their work. They do not become
experts and usually fail when put to
the test. To avoid this the course has
lbeen framed SO that pupils are not
allowed to take up the eleventh and
twelfth grade studies Of the CONNER
cial course until they have the work
ot the niilbh and terth grade, or
it's full equivalent"
In the different high schools two
business courses are usually offered
one centering about book keeping and
commercial arithmetic, the other
about stenography and typewriting.
Practically all Of the commercial
work occurs in the last two years of
the course, the first two years Of
the high school constituting neces.
sary and efficient preparatory course
La Junta and Rocky Ford have es.
tablished such courses and their grad
yates are successful. DR.. Phillips, OF
Denver University, n recent school
visitor In Central spoke in the high
ost terms of the Rocky Ford course
and recommended the introduction OF
such course as one Of the finest