Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1913-08-13
! WlLLMAR PUBLIC SCHOOL
MATTERS DISCUSSED
A Few Extracts From the Report Of Supt. Foster
to the Board of Education.

boys in the Short Course. Two Of
them made extension wagon boxes
at a cost Of about $500, which
would have cost them at least $4,000
if purchased in the ordinary way,
and it was generally believed by the
boys taking the course, that the box
es they made were Of better material
and finished in such a way as to
wear longer than the boxes which
they might have purchased.
"Besides the work Of the farm
boys, the regular woodwork includ-
ing mechanical drawing, and prob
lens in joinery and furniture making
have been carried on by the boys of
the Seventh Grade and the various
classes of the High School,. In ad-
dition to this, which is the major
part of the work, repairing Of furn-
iture, wood turning, belt lacing, and
work with gasoline engines has also
been taken up by the department Of
manual training.
Domestic Science.
Cooking: The girls in the cooking
department have this year been Civ
en- a very thorough course in the
chemistry and the values of the var
ious food principles, the cooking of
vegetables, meats, breads, pastries,
desserts for the home, with a spec
ial course in cooking for invalids. In
order that the work of the cooking
department may be as practical as
possible, and that the girls may have
actual experience in serving and pre-
siding at the table in the presence of
guests, luncheons have been served
from time to time by the pupils of the
class. One pupil does the cooking,
another the serving, and the third
acts as hostess for the occasion. To
teach economy and give experience
in buying, the hostess for the occas-
ion has sold six tickets at twenty
cents each, and out Of the fund thus
derived, she has been expected to
furnish all Of the food served on that
occasion. The girl who can serve
the best meal for the money receives
a corresponding high mark for her
work. These luncheons have served
to somewhat socialize the work of
the school, and have brought the
general public and the department
of domestic science into closer re-
lationship than could otherwise have
existed, in as much as the guests at
the luncheons must be others than
the pupils or teachers Of the schools.
"During the Farmers Short
Course department for women was
maintained, in which Mrs. Baker of
the University Extension Department
assisted Miss Hough in carrying on
the work. About eighty women at
tended the course during the week,
and from all appearances the work
was a decidedly important part Of
the Farmers Short Course.
Sewing.
"Sewing: The sewing work is Civ
en- to the girls Of the Seventh Grade
in which hand work is undertaken,
and to the girls Of the Sophomore
and Senior classes Of the high school.
The work in the high school consists
Of machine work and drafting, cut
ting, fitting and making Of a suit of
ladies' underwear, together with one
or more dresses, and the repairing
and re-modeling Of old garments. It
is both interesting and gratifying to
hear the girls, who have passed thru
these courses in the high school, tell
Of the clothes they are making at
home, and Of the cooking they also
do there. In this connection 1 may
say that the girls taking the course
in cooking are expected to report at
least twice a week on the dishes
which they have prepared in their
homes, and with this report is ex-
pected a criticism by the mother or
other grown up member Of the fam
lily. This last feature furnishes a
close correlation between the home
and school kitchen, and serves at all
times as a check upon the tendency
towards impractical dishes and ten
denotes in the school.
Benefits of Work.
Gone girl who took the sewing in
the Farm Students Short Course
was Immediately engaged by her far
mer friends to make three dresses
like the one she had made during her
course in school, and others were
soon doing work in their homes
which they had never thought of, or
never had been able to do before.
The work in the Domestic Art and
Domestic Science department is at
| all times Of a serious minded nature,
and the girls are being taught, and
endeavoring at all times, to better
things. to be practical and worthy
home makers. It is safe to predict
that the time is not far distant when
the value Of scientific and system
attic instruction in home making will
make itself felt in the better living
conditions Of the average American
home
Work in Agriculture.
agriculture Department: The