Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1916-03-23
BETTER SCHOOL CONDITIONS.

90 IOl OllC Wcck vi VUCdGlOH, en-
cept the kindergarten, which will
have its vacation one week later.
This is necessary because of the
program to be given in the library
auditorium by the Ladies I'M
provement league during the
first week in April. Parents will
kindly give heed to this announce
ment.
With our increased facilities
and room next year the kinder
garten will have permanent
abiding place. 1t is the plan of
the board of education to main
tain kindergarten in each of
the First and Third ward build
ings. The matter of having two
teachers giving full-day sessions
to this work has not as yet been
decided. If the halliday plan is
pursued the teacher will spend
half time at each ward. This ar
rangement will surely meet the
approval of all parents, as it will
make the department. accessible
to the small children i'm all parts
of the city. At present the two
ward buildings are very much
overcrowded and all the rooms arc
tccupicd
In order To make room 70. .hc
kindergarten il will be necessary
TO effect a different organization
OF the grades. a grammar de-
partmcnt comprising the seventh
and eighth grades will be formed.
which will be located i'm the new
high school building. A large as
semblN room will be provided on
the first floor with seating ca
pacity of 100.
Under the new organization the
plan of departmental work will be
followed. No one who is familiar
with the best forms of school or
ganization and practices can
question the wisdom of the board
of education on this change. De-
partmental work is no expert
ment. 1t has been successfully
tried and is now in operation in
most schools having an enroll
ment as large or even smaller
than our own. 1t is the plan to
give these pupils a little more
work in domestic science and
manual training. To have them
located in the building where
these subjects are taught will
means a saving of time. y
The, advantages of the depart
mental plan can be briefly stated
as follows:
First-Better teaching will in
cvitably result. Any teacher who
has only one branch to teach can
become more of an expert than
the one who has five or six under
the present plan.
Second-The pupils will have
a study hall removed from the
distractions which necessarily re-
suit from the conducting of rec
itation in the same room under
the present plan.
Third-The problems OF dis
cipline will be minimized. The
teacher will have only the class
she is teaching to discipline thru
interest, while under the present
plan she has the dual problem Of
teaching one class and looking
after the discipline of the other
division. The age of grammar
school pupils is not only an asser-
tive one, but critical one. They
enjoy change and the very fact
OF their coming into contact with
four or five teachers, who will
leave the impression of their re-
spcctivc personalities upon them
will be inspiring and helpful.
Fourth-Longer recitation pc
riOds can be effected. Some sub
jects as spelling and penmanship
can be taught just as effectively
to large group as a small one.
This will give more time for the
regular classroom work. We
trust that all patrons will accept
the change without murmuring,
as it is unquestionably for the
best interests of the school.
The district declamatory con-
test will be held at Osceola Friday
night, March "a. Mr.. Glenn Will
liams will represent our school.
The following program will show
the various schools when are to
participate:
oratoricaI caiss.
"Oliver CROMWELL .......
Earl Cramer, Emerson, S. w. Dis.
"A Message to Garcia" ........
Eugene Halling, Orient, S. E. Div.
"Toussafnt L'Overture" .....
Harold Morris, Valley Jet. N. L. ID.
''The Plumed Knight ....
G. Williams, Mo. Valley, n. w. d.
Dramatic Glass.
1.-The Death Disk" -....................
Nancie Kemp, Leon, S. L. D.
'The Sign of the Cross
Esther Lewellen, Dexter, N. L. d.
In the Palace of a King ........