The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-11

demic high school, 1894; Lowman
Hill, 1901; Sumner, 1901: Lafayette.
eled. 1903; Quincy. 1904; manual
training high school. 1904; State
Street, remodeled, 1907; Mckinley.
1907; Central Park, 1908; Washing
ton, 1910; Van Buren,, contracted.
1910. With the exception of the aca-
demic high school building, all of these
substantial Improvements have been
made during the last ten years
with the assistance of the Fedora
ton of Clubs and by voluntary contri-
PIRATE pictures of artistic excellence
have been placed on the walls of the
schools rooms throughout the city.
These pictures and other works of art
| which have been SO generously pro-
vided, with which the pupils become
familiar through daily contact, are of
Iinestimable value in the cultivation Of
good taste. and also serve to beautify
the school room and make it home
| like in appearance. Through the eff
forts of teachers and pupils nearly
every building has been furnished
with a good piano.
"A1l of the buildings recently erect
| ed have been furnished with sanitary
drinking fountains, and during the
past year in all of the older buildings
| WHICH are Suppl0Q Will City WoCOA
drinking fountains were installed.
I'm 1S9O-1S91 there were six teach
ers in the high school and la in the
elementary schools, total of 100.
In 1909-1010 there were 80 teachers
| in the high school, 1872 teachers in
the elementary schools, two super
visors and two kindergarten teachers,
| a total of 225. OF this number II
were men, 16 serving as principals
and one as teacher in elementary
| schools, and one as principal and nine
as teachers in the high school. In
| the schools for colored pupils 27 prin-
| cipals and teachers were employed, OF
whom seven were men.
The High School.
During the last 20 years the most
remarkable changes in the public
school system of Topeka are those
which have characterized public edu-
cation generally, viz, the introduce
ton of manual training and the de-
velopment of the high school. The
| fact that the high school enrolment
I increased from 165 in the first term
! of 18S9-1S90 to 1920 in the cores
ponding term of 1909-191O, while the
| number of high school teachers in
creased during the same period from
to 80 is sufficient to justify brief
| account of the development of this
| important branch of the Topeka
schools
|
| is offered in the manual training de-
partment and the duration of each
| course are as follows: Physical train
| ing (girls), two years; clay modelling,
two years; wood carving, two years.
! freehand drawing and design, two
years; mechanical drawing, two years;
| joinery, one year; wood turning ana
pattern making, one year; forge prac-
| tice, one year; sewing, two years; do
nestle science, two years.
| 1.-THE results observed in this depart
ment have been exceedingly sat1sfac-
tory. Not only have the students
made excellent progress in the re-
quired exercises, but the habits of &C
| curacy, neatness, system, and 1noe-
| pendent resourcefulness have affected
departments of the school. Students
have been encouraged to undertake
the construction of articles in addition
to the requirements and there are
many instances in which articles Oh
utility and decoration have been pro-
/ duced for the home of students.
| "In order to make the high school
as useful as possible in furnishing
practical education in variety OF
| forms. the board of education has
made provision for the Introduction
of commercial branches, the subjects
available for 191O-1911 being pen
manship, commercial arithmetic. and
| bookkeeping, these to be followed
4 SLGHO&IdpHy,
mercial law. commercial geograp ply
civics, and economics. 1t Is not the
plan at present to organize q distinct
| ly commercial course, but to offer the
commercial branches as electives un-
der the same restrictions which apply
to all elective subjects.
High School Graduates.
What becomes of the graduates OF
the high school is an interesting Ques-
ton, and record of the careers and ac-
complishments of the graduates would
be exceedingly valuable. 1t is greatly
to the credit of the school and the
community that so many have the am
bition which pushes them on to the
college, university, or technical school
During the last ten years, on the
average, more than 80 of the nigh
school graduates have entered Wash
burn college every year. Goodly dele
cations have gone to the State univer-
sity, the State Normal school. the
State Agricultural college, and Other
colleges of Kansas, while many others
have entered the older colleges and
universities outside of the state. OF
the 144 who graduated in 1910. SO are
known to have entered some higher
institution of learning.
| MANY of these students have won
/ distinction for themselves and have
brought honor to their school and
| CITY. For example, of eight honor
students in the class of 1910 at Wash
burn college six were graduates of the
| Topeka high school. In business and
| the various industries the high school
graduates have been successful. espe-
| cially in those occupations which re-
| ouire industry and skill. OF the 235
teachers elected as teachers in the To-
peka schools for 1910-1911, 95 gradu-
| ated from the Topeka high school
Two of the five Kansas men who have
secured the Rhodes Oxford scholar
ship were prepared for college in the
Topeka high school.
The Elementary Schools.
1 THE graded or elementary schools
constitute the fundamentally essential
part of the educational system The
ltruth of this statement is generally