Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-08-31
SCHOOL DAYS ARE NEAR
OPENING DATE WILL PROBAB
LY BE SEPTEMBER TWENTY.
New Course Of Instruction May Be
Introduced Additional
Teacher in High School.

probably be instituted in the Dalla
high school this fall with the estat
lishment of a teachers trainin
school, Definite announcement ha
not been made as yet regarding tn
creation of the new studies, but fror
the enthusiasm with which the ide
has been greeted it is practically eel
tain that the course will be added t.
the curriculum. There is a CONSTANT,
increasing enrolment in the high an,
grade schools, and with it comes de
mand for wider range of instruc
tion. The teachers course will be al
especially valuable addition and will
interest many young folks who hav,
not the desire or the opportunity tt
persue their studies through colleg'
or normal school in order to secur,
teaching positions. The course viii
fit students primarily for work in the
grade schools of the county and state
and the studies will be directed by
Prof. Walter |. Ford, city superinten-
dent of schools, with the assistance
of other high school instructors. A
valuable addition to the high school
teaching staff this year is Miss {!
Owens, Reed college graduate, who
will have charge of the work in his
tory and German. Miss Owens comes
well recommended from the Portland
institution, and with the personal
recommendation of President w. 7.
Foster. All other teachers were at
the school last year and include III. HI.
Dunkelberger, mathematics and prin-
cipal; Otho C. Hart, manual training
and bookkeeping; Maude A. MacDon-
aid, sciences; Gladys Cartwright,
English; Rose M. Sheridan, domestic
science and art, and Gertrude Irwin,
music. Professor Ford will personal
ly supervise the work in both the
high and grade school, and his ambi-
tion, which has been shown by his
achievements in the past, will be to-
ward maximum efficiency from teach
ing staff and students.
A number of important improve
ments have been made around the
high school grounds and buildings.
Outside, the result of several years
9f diligent agitation on the part of
: The superintendent and school board,
\ showing itself in all its verdant
beauty. 1t is the grass. AT this
time of year it is at its best, and, to
the credit of those who are respon-
sible for its existence, it is one of the
prettiest and best kept lawns in the
city. Inside the building the lavator-
les have been improved, and many
little things and minor repair jobs
are noticeable, and, as whole, make
a decided improvement. The build
ling will be ready to accommodate an
increased enrolment when the doors
are opened on September 20. Last
year there were 155 students in the
high school department, and in an
interview with The Observer Pro-
fessor Ford placed his estimate for
the coming year at about 170. The
greatest increase in student popula-
tion of the city has been in the high |
school in the last few years, and is
accounted for by the lack Of such
schools in the smaller towns near
Dallas, and by the ever increasing
tendency on the part young people to
gain the greatest possible knowledge.
This last is borne out, too, by the
increasing number of collegiate mar
from Dallas and Polk
county. Teachers contracts call for
a report in person, prepared for duty.
on September 20, although at this
time the school board has not official
ly set that date for the opening. So
many young people and school chill
dren spend the early weeks of Sep
tember in the hop fields that the
board usually determines the end of
the hop harvest before making official
of the opening date for
the schools.
In the grade school there still re-
mains a vacancy in the teachingl
force, but all other teachers are those
who had the positions last year. The
vacancy is in the third grade, or. at
the option of the board, in the fifth
grade. The eleven teachers who have
signed contracts for the grade school
work are Miss Ruth Num-, Miss Cora s
Rossiter, Mrs. K. n. Wood, Mrs. Bon |
1ie Smith, Miss Alta Savage, Miss
Edna Morrison, Mrs. Emma Jost,
Mrs. Edith Plank, Mis- Alice Grant. 1
Miss Nola Coad and Ms. F. H. Nor
.ison. The grade school building has {
ilso been improved during the sum-
ner. New fireboxes hav. been built
n the furnaces, meaning practically
lew furnaces, and many little repairs I
ind refnements are in place. On the a
outside a part of the playground has a
Deen filed in and leveled with gravel 7
md overlaid with sand. This mater
ally improves the condition of the Il
and will be thankfully re-
eived by the youngsters when they
'eturn to their desks this fall. \ The '
apparatus that the bard "
lad hoped to install has not been bur a
hased. and is regrettable. The e,il- Il
Iren should be provided with swints. a
etters, trapeze bars. slides and hos il
n