Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-03-24

was not originally erected Tor school
purposes. and which is entirely too
small to accommodate the number of
pupils that are i'm attendance upon
the school. For instance, some of
the halls, deorways and stairways
are but five feet wide. At one
place in the building we are Obliged
to pass. every forty-five minutes.
an average Of one hundred and fifty
pupils up and down five foot stair
way, i'm two minutes. At another
place i'm the building. we pass in
three minutes an average of three
hundred pupils through a space ten
feet square, every forty five minutes.
The entire capacity of the building
under normal conditions is about two
hundred and forty, but we have in
actual attendance three hundred and
sixty two. and the registration for the
year will be but little, if any, short
of four hundred. Under these condi-
tons we are unable To accomplish
several things that we desire. But,
taken all i'm all. we feel that we are
doing quite well. So far as the
safety Of the building is concerned. /
would say that few weeks ago we
competent architects and they re-
ported that, so far as could be seen.
the building was entirely safe; that
in the assembly room, the safety of
which has been questioned, a crowd
of twice as many people as could
possibly be put in there, standing,
would not exceed the supporting
power of the room. And so far as
the sanitation OF the building Is
concerned. although il does not con-
tain a system of modern heating and
ventilation, yet by having main hall
WAYS running the entire length and
also width of the building, and by
keeping all outside doors open con-
stantly we have had free circula-
ton of air: The rooms and halls
are swept with a disinfecting sweep
ing compound. deodoriZing sprays are
used where needed. as is also a we'll
known drain cleaner, so that on the
whole the sanitary conditions of the
building are not bad.
Our equipment for work is very
good. only, of course, too small We
have an excellent supply of physi-
cal apparatus, and a library of about
A thousand volumes. The equipment
for our commercial department is
most excellent but entirely too small.
This department is very popular in
the school. We have twenty-six type
writer's i'm constant operation through
out the day
The school is fairly well financed.
For this We owe a deep debt To the
BOARD of supervisors. This body of
n,en have listened to our needs with
attention and have done their best
to supply us with necessary funds.
We, of course, need more money and
could use il to good advantage, but
since we do not have it. we do the
best we can with what we have.
The student body of the Phoenix
high school is not different from that
Of schools elsewhere-no better, no
worse; they are like the common run
of people everywhere. The real facts
of the case. as have found them, af-
ter three years of work, are that the
young people of Phoenix, particularly
those in the high school, taken all
i'm all. are the equals of young people
anywhere.
one of the encouraging things con-
nected with the high school and one
that means much for its future sue
cess is the hearty parental support
that is given.
The fundamental principle that we
follow in the government of the
school is. the largest degree of lib
erty consistent with good work. We
do rot attempt to maintain a lock-
step nor hear-the- pin drop disci-
DIN
puriIs go direct from the high school
into the active life of the world
that they should be led to form habits
of solf. initiative and self-control SO
that when they cDme in contact with
the actual world life. it will not be
something new to them, nor viii IL
be something for which they have had
NJ preparation.
Now concerning the future. We
have at present. from the sale OF
bonds. about one hundred and forty
thousand dollars. for the purpose of
erecting new buildings. II has been
decided by the board of trustees that
instead of erecting one large building
as is often done for high schools, that
five smaller buildings will be built.
each one devoted to specific pur-
pose. one of the new buildings Will
be given over to domestic art and
sciences. In this building will be
taught those things that enter into
successful and beautiful home-mak-
ing. In the basement of this building
will be cafeteria, from which the
pupils will be served wholesome food
at actual cost.
Another of the new buildings will
be given up to chemistry, physics.
biology and agriculture. The third
of the larger buildings will be an
auditorium. with a seating capacity.
when 1t is all thrown together. OF
about twelve hundred. Back of the
auditorium, and located about the
middle of the group. will be the
power plant and manual training
building. On the north block will
be located the gymnasium.
When these buildings are ready for
occupancy. new courses of study will
be offered, and il is believed that no
better opportunity for gaining an